Is our nation overmedicated? When it comes to antidepressants, we may very well be, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced some new steps to de-emphasize (not ban) the role of these drugs in treating depression and other mental health issues.
Secretary Kennedy announced the upcoming changes at a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) meeting on Monday.
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 on 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”.
The press release from the Department of Health and Human Services, which you can view here, states in part:
In a Dear Colleague Letter [PDF] published today, HHS encourages providers to prioritize informed consent and shared decision-making, and to regularly review the risks and benefits of psychiatric medications with patients. The letter highlights nonmedication approaches, such as family support, psychotherapy, nutrition, and physical activity when clinically appropriate. Providers can also find information in the letter on billing codes that can be used to support the delivery of evidence-based nonmedication treatments.
In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance for physicians and other practitioners on the importance of deprescribing and related medical care. This guidance clarifies how physicians and other practitioners can be paid for this type of care under Medicare, and also directs clinicians to widely recognized resources for deprescribing, including professional society guidelines, peer-reviewed deprescribing protocols, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instructions for taper schedules.
Note, again, that HHS is not removing these drugs as a treatment option; only de-emphasizing the role of drugs, in favor of non-pharmaceutical treatments.
Read More: Judge Blocks RFK Vaccine Overhaul and Freezes Newly Rebuilt Advisory Committee
For an informed opinion on this move, I went to one of my personal healthcare advisors, who has a great deal of experience with patients on these medications, and whose word I trust implicitly, since I'm her father. Our oldest is a nurse-practitioner with over 15 years of emergency medicine experience in addition to running a small-town clinic. She said:
SSRI's are way overprescribed. (A patient's) withdrawal can be hell. Migraines, vision, and balance are off. All because someone threw a pill at them instead of suggesting exercise, sleep, and therapy.
There's a lot of money involved, of course, and it's hard for a major pharmaceutical company to make a profit off a doc who is recommending sunshine and exercise instead of medications. Especially where children are concerned.
A 2025 study revealed that as much as 17 percent of the American population is taking some kind of antidepressant drug. That's far too many patients, as noted above, having pills thrown at them. Would all of them be able to see persistent relief from exercise and sunshine? Probably not, although I maintain that sunshine and exercise are some of the very best things you can do for your health, mental and physical. But this move is a goad to moderation, not a ban.
What this is, is another step towards curbing overmedicating, and in so doing, helping to make America healthy again. That's a good thing.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member