Psychiatrists Push Back on RFK Jr. Antidepressant Curbs 10 Days After Policy Rollout
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 24
Psychiatrists Push Back on RFK Jr. Antidepressant Curbs 10 Days After Policy Rollout
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 24
Thousands of psychiatrists meeting at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual conference voiced alarm after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled policies encouraging doctors to deprescribe antidepressants.
10 days after that announcement, many attendees said they feared patients would reject medication or stop treatment abruptly and relapse, turning a long-running fringe critique into a federal challenge.
Marketa Wills, the APA’s chief executive, drew applause by declaring the group would never support government interference in medical practice and would defend evidence-based care.
The association is not rejecting every part of the effort: conference sessions trained doctors on tapering medications, and its president is due to join a July HHS panel on antidepressant tapering guidance.
That mix of resistance and cautious cooperation shows psychiatry trying to defend prescribing autonomy while engaging with concerns about overprescribing now elevated by the administration.
Will the national pivot from antidepressants spark a mental health revolution or a relapse crisis?
As officials challenge prescriptions, are psychedelic therapies the real answer for mental health?
Caught between policy and prescriptions, what does the future of depression treatment actually look like?
U.S. Launches MAHA Action Plan to Address Psychiatric Drug Overprescribing: Policy, Reactions, and Risks
Overview
On May 4, 2026, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the MAHA Action Plan, a major federal initiative to address overprescribing in psychiatry. The plan aims to reduce unnecessary psychiatric drug use by encouraging more careful prescribing and promoting safer, more patient-centered care. While the initiative’s goal is widely supported, immediate reactions from health experts were critical, pointing out that the plan lacks the necessary infrastructure for safe medication reduction. This highlights the need for robust support systems to ensure patients can safely adjust or discontinue psychiatric medications as part of a broader shift in mental health care.