Researchers in the Netherlands, led by Dr. Rhona Eveleigh, investigated a tailored approach to withdrawing from longterm antidepressants prescribed inconsistently with clinical guidelines. Their results suggest that antidepressants are overprescribed and that once they are started it is difficult to discontinue their use.
Research has demonstrated that antidepressant drugs are not significantly superior to placebo at reducing depressive symptoms except in cases of severe depression. However, clinical practice has failed to reflect this research and antidepressants continue to be prescribed as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression. The question of how to withdraw from antidepressants when they have been prescribed inappropriately has become central to remediating overtreatment.
The researchers evaluate the effectiveness of a recommendation to cease treatment with antidepressants by implementing an approach tailored to the patient and the psychiatric diagnosis. The aim of this study is driven by the high levels of problematic long-term antidepressant use, classified as “overtreatment.”
This usage is contraindicated explicitly by research recommending the limited duration of antidepressant use. Moreover, the authors write that the effectiveness of antidepressants is “questionable,” with five out of every six users failing to experience benefits. They explain: