RFK Jr. Announces Initiatives to Reduce Antidepressant Prescriptions

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced initiatives to cut down on the number of antidepressants prescribed to Americans and encourage more nondrug interventions.

The Details: Kennedy Jr. made the announcement during an event hosted by the Make American Health Again Institute, emphasizing concerns about long-term antidepressant use and withdrawal. He said the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will shift mental health care toward prevention, transparency and a more holistic approach, including lifestyle changes. HHS reportedly plans to convene a panel to develop guidance and training on psychiatric medication risks, tapering and "deprescribing." As part of the initiative, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will also issue a report on prescribing trends, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will issue new guidance allowing doctors to be paid for work to safely reduce patient reliance on psychiatric medications, including monitoring withdrawal symptoms and outcomes.

Key Quote: Kennedy said, "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."

For Context: Antidepressants are among the most prescribed medications in the US. As of 2025, over 30,000 US adults–or 16.6%–were taking antidepressants, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine. A 2022 study in the American Academy of Pediatrics found 4.5% of US adolescents and young adults between ages 12-25 received a prescription for antidepressants–a 66.3% increase from 2016. At the same time, 4 in 10 American high school students reported depression symptoms in 2023, including 53% of girls and 65% of LGBTQ+ teens, according to the CDC.

From the Left: Many outlets on the left framed their headlines as Kennedy Jr. "limiting" and "deprescribing" antidepressants. They generally emphasized caution and "pushback" from doctors about Kennedy Jr.'s messaging and highlighted his statements comparing SSRI addiction to his own heroin addiction. Daily Kos (Left bias) mentioned Kennedy's brainworm diagnosis. CNN (Lean Left) noted research by psychiatry professionals about weaning people off antidepressants and emphasized "gaps" in current mental health care access. New York Times (Lean Left) said no major medical organizations were present at the event and that Kennedy has "long complained that Americans overuse psychiatric medications."

From the Right: Many outlets on the right focused on Kennedy's claims of "overmedicalization" and "overprescription" of antidepressants. They also highlighted the increasing number of people on antidepressants, specifically children. The Federalist (Right) described the "overmedicalization" of antidepressants as "predatory" and emphasized there was "limited data on the efficacy of [SSRIs]." Fox News (Right) highlighted the HHS's focus on "informed consent and shared decision-making," and noted the increase in children with ADHD diagnoses and antidepressant prescriptions. Epoch Times (Lean Right) emphasized statements from the HHS's four divisions about the importance of patients understanding the risks and duration of antidepressant use and "alternatives" to the drugs when warranted.

From the Center: Wall Street Journal (Center) differed from other Center-rated outlets by including studies expressing some skepticism over the effectiveness of long-term antidepressant use. One of these studies included findings that "only 15% with major depression experienced a substantial benefit from taking antidepressants beyond the placebo effect." It also mentioned bipartisan agreement between Kennedy Jr. and some medical professionals over concerns about withdrawal symptoms.

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