In recent years, the topic of long-term antidepressant usage has ignited significant debate in the mental health field, as data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that about one in nine adults in the United States uses these medications. This discourse took a pivotal turn in 2019 when two British researchers revealed that 56% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing antidepressants and nearly half classified their experiences as severe. This study garnered significant attention in the UK and prompted modifications in psychiatric training and prescribing methodologies, echoing a wider movement advocating for reduced reliance on psychotropic medications. The issue has found new footing in the U.S. following the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary.
However, a new study released on July 9, 2025, in the journal JAMA Psychiatry challenges these previously held beliefs. The researchers found that while patients did report symptoms such as dizziness and nausea after stopping their antidepressant use, these symptoms were generally “below the threshold for clinically significant” withdrawal effects. Dr. Sameer Jauhar, a key contributor to the study and a professor at Imperial College London, posits that this new analysis should provide reassurance for both patients and healthcare providers. “The messaging that arose in 2019 overstretched the implications, suggesting that all antidepressants invariably lead to severe issues for a large proportion of patients, which does not hold up to rigorous scientific examination,” he stated.
