RFK Jr. launches plan to address ‘overuse’ of psychiatric medications
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. detailed a plan to curb psychiatric drug overuse, focusing on education and deprescribing, as concerns over side effects persist and 11% of U.S. adults had an SSRI prescription in 2024.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new initiatives on Monday to curb the overprescription of psychiatric medications, aiming to address what he termed the nation's "mental health crisis."
- Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement has long targeted antidepressants, alleging without evidence that SSRIs are linked to violence and that withdrawal is more difficult than from heroin.
- Psychiatric nurse practitioner Sean Leonard and American Psychiatric Association president Dr. Theresa Miskimen Rivera dispute Kennedy's claims, noting that antidepressants remain essential for many patients.
- HHS will launch training for providers at more than 1,400 community health centers this summer, alongside billing guidance for "deprescribing" to help patients transition off psychotropic drugs.
- While improved clinical training is welcomed, critics warn that framing mental health solely as "overmedicalization" risks ignoring persistent workforce shortages and limited access to care.
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78 Articles
Journal Gazette & Times-Courier
Kennedy's health officials explored US ban of some antidepressants, sources say
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 4 announced initiatives intended to reduce SSRI use, while attempting to reassure Americans who still want to take them.
HHS launches MAHA action plan to curb psychiatric overprescribing in children
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday launched an action plan aimed at curbing what it called psychiatric overprescribing, with a particular focus on children, while promoting informed consent, deprescribing and nonmedication treatments for mental health. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the MAHA Action Plan as the closing… The post HHS launches MAHA action plan to curb psychiatric overprescribing i…
Kennedy launches bold initiative to curb antidepressant dependency, sparking national debate
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced initiatives targeting SSRI antidepressants, which 16.6% of U.S. adults currently take. The plan emphasizes informed consent, tapering protocols and non-pharmaceutical alternatives like psychotherapy and nutrition. Nearly half of Americans oppose federal restrictions on antidepressant prescribing, according to a 2025 survey of 30,000 adults. An FDA panel debated adding […]
RFK Jr.'s New Push To Reduce Psychiatric Med Use Raises Concerns
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty ImagesHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a new HHS initiative intended to “curb psychiatric overprescribing” by promoting “appropriate prescribing” and encouraging doctors to wean their patients off of meds when possible. Kennedy alluded to his intentions to reduce the number of Americans taking psychiatric medications early in his tenure as HHS secretary, but this initiative marks his fir…
RFK Jr. says SSRI withdrawal worse than heroin, rolls out 'deprescribing' initiative during emotional summit
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a sweeping new initiative Monday to reduce the overprescription of antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other psychotropic medications, especially for children.
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