After Quitting Antidepressants, some People Suffer Surprising, Lingering Symptoms
UNITED STATES, JUL 9 – Advocates and researchers emphasize the need for better tapering guidelines and recognition of prolonged antidepressant withdrawal, with some patients suffering symptoms for an average of eight years.
- In response to patient reports, the American Psychiatric Association began investigating long-term withdrawal symptoms, marking a significant shift driven by advocacy efforts.
- Patient advocacy groups and online communities, led by Adele Framer since 2011, have mobilized to push for research and recognition of prolonged antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, amid lack of large-scale studies.
- German meta-analysis found one in six antidepressant users report withdrawal symptoms, with long-term sufferers averaging eight years; NHS survey shows long-term users are 18 times more likely to experience lasting effects.
- In response to patient advocacy, the Canadian government began funding PSSD research at UBC, while the Psychotropic Deprescribing Council develops tapering guidelines.
- Experts warn that millions face long-lasting withdrawal symptoms, revealing a widespread public health issue that is still poorly understood and under-researched.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Antidepressant Withdrawal Is a Major Public Health Issue, Experts Warn
A new review of antidepressant withdrawal effects – written by academics, many of whom have close ties to drug manufacturers – risks underestimating the potential harms to long-term antidepressant users by focusing on short-term, industry-funded studies.
Few mental health practices are more debated than the long-term use of antidepressant drugs, which are prescribed to approximately one in nine adults in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reassessment began in 2019, when two British researchers published a study that found that 56 percent of patients suffered withdrawal symptoms when they stopped taking antidepressant drugs and 46 percen…
Antidepressant withdrawal symptoms may be less common than we thought
Previous estimates have suggested that more than half of people who stop taking antidepressants experience withdrawal symptoms, but now a review of the evidence suggests this isn't the case, at least for short-term use.
Antidepressant withdrawal: new review downplays symptoms but misses the mark for long-term use
marevgenna/Shutterstock.comA new review of antidepressant withdrawal effects – written by academics, many of whom have close ties to drug manufacturers – risks underestimating the potential harms to long-term antidepressant users by focusing on short-term, industry-funded studies. There is growing recognition that stopping antidepressants – especially after long-term use – can cause severe and sometimes debilitating withdrawal symptoms, and it i…
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