US to take steps to curb antidepressant prescribing, RFK Jr says

The federal health department will begin a series of steps intended to curb antidepressant use in the US, Robert F Kennedy Jr announced this week.

Antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have long been a target for Kennedy, the Trump administration’s health secretary, who talked about the plans at an event Monday hosted by the Make America Healthy Again Institute, an organization focused on advancing the MAHA agenda. He has claimed without evidence that the drugs are linked to a rise in school shootings and has expressed concerns about weaning off the medications and withdrawal symptoms.

In a press release about the plans, the Department of Health and Human Services said its intent was to “curb psychiatric overprescribing” and promote “deprescribing when clinically indicated”.

During the event, Kennedy said he recognized the role of psychiatric medications, but that his department “will no longer treat them as the default, we will treat them as one option, to be used when appropriate, with full transparency and with a clear path off when they are no longer needed,” according to the New York Times’ reporting on the summit, which focused on “overmedicalization” of mental health.

“Let me be clear: If you are taking psychiatric medication, we are not telling you to stop. We are making sure you, and your clinician, have the information and support to make the right decision for you.”

A survey in 2025 across all 50 states showed nearly 17% of respondents currently used antidepressants. The survey also found that a “significant proportion of adults in every US state oppose efforts to restrict access to antidepressant prescribing”.

In the department press release, Kennedy said the action plan is intended to address “overuse” of these medications, “especially among children”.

A letter issued on Monday from top HHS officials details to providers the goal to reduce antidepressant use and encourages the use of non-medication options for treating depression, including psychotherapy, diet, physical activity and social connection. The letter intended to “emphasize the importance of ensuring that treatment planning for mental health conditions includes meaningful access to evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions”.