US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced a series of steps aimed at curbing antidepressant prescribing, promoting 'deprescribing' as a key strategy. The plans, unveiled at a Make America Healthy Again Institute event, target selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which Kennedy has previously linked without evidence to school shootings.
The Department of Health and Human Services said its intent is to 'curb psychiatric overprescribing' and encourage deprescribing 'when clinically indicated'. A letter to providers emphasises non-medication options such as psychotherapy, diet, exercise and social connection, while clarifying that clinicians can be reimbursed for deprescribing services.
Psychiatrists have pushed back against the framing of the mental health crisis as one of overprescribing. The American Psychiatric Association warned that the approach 'oversimplifies a complex crisis' and ignores workforce shortages, limited psychiatric beds and barriers to care. 'Deprescribing alone is not a sufficient response,' the association said, urging that decisions be guided by evidence and individual patient needs.
A 2025 survey found nearly 17% of US adults use antidepressants, with a 'significant proportion' opposing restrictions on access. Kennedy acknowledged the role of medications but said his department will 'no longer treat them as the default'.
