HHS Launches Push On Psychiatric Overprescribing And Deprescribing Guidance

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a May 4 action plan aimed at curbing psychiatric overprescribing and promoting deprescribing when clinically indicated. The plan, announced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a MAHA Institute summit, centers on informed consent, shared decision-making, nonmedication options and new federal guidance for clinicians.

The Details

HHS said the action plan is intended to address what the department describes as overuse of psychiatric medications, especially among children. In the HHS announcement, Kennedy said, "Today, we take clear and decisive action to confront our nation’s mental health crisis by addressing the overuse of psychiatric medications—especially among children."

The department said the plan includes a Dear Colleague letter urging clinicians to emphasize informed consent and shared decision-making with patients. According to the HHS announcement, the letter also points to nonmedication options such as psychotherapy, nutrition, family support and physical activity when those approaches are clinically appropriate.

HHS framed the effort as a change in how psychiatric prescribing is discussed with patients rather than as a directive to stop medications across the board. Kennedy said in the HHS announcement that the department would "support patient autonomy, require informed consent and shared decision-making, and shift the standard of care toward prevention, transparency, and a more holistic approach to mental health."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued guidance saying clinicians can be reimbursed under Medicare for deprescribing-related care, according to the HHS announcement. The same guidance directs clinicians to recognized tapering resources, placing Medicare payment policy inside the broader federal effort to formalize how tapering and discontinuation are addressed when they are clinically indicated.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration plans reports, fact sheets and educational webinars in June and July on psychiatric medication side effects, deprescribing approaches and evidence-based nonmedication treatments, according to HHS. The department also said it plans a July technical expert panel focused on tapering and discontinuation guidance.

The Washington Examiner separately reported that Kennedy described the initiative as a department-wide multipronged approach. The outlet also quoted Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine saying the administration is not trying to unduly restrict SSRI access, but is seeking to better inform patients and providers about risks and alternatives.

Christine told the Washington Examiner that the issue should be framed through patient understanding of benefits and risks. "It’s all kind of a risk-benefit ratio," Christine said, according to the outlet. "Patients, men and women in this country, need to understand that."

Context

The Washington Examiner, citing HHS-linked figures, reported that about 11% of U.S. adults and nearly 4% of people age 17 and under had an SSRI prescription as of 2024. Those figures form part of the administration’s stated basis for focusing federal attention on antidepressant prescribing and discontinuation.

A February 2026 JAMA Network Open consensus statement from the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology task force said deprescribing psychotropic medications can be appropriate in some cases. The statement said that process requires structured, individualized risk-benefit assessment rather than abrupt discontinuation.

The New York Times reported days before the HHS rollout that the department planned to convene expert panels this summer on deprescribing SSRIs. That report aligns with the HHS announcement’s plan for a July technical expert panel on tapering and discontinuation guidance.

The issue remains contested in the medical community. Pharmacy Times, summarizing clinical guidance and expert concerns, reported that mental health experts continue to dispute Kennedy’s broader rhetoric on SSRIs, including comparisons between antidepressant withdrawal and heroin addiction, and emphasize that discontinuation symptoms are not the same as addiction.

What's Next

HHS said SAMHSA will release reports and fact sheets and hold June-July educational webinars on psychiatric medication side effects, deprescribing approaches and evidence-based nonmedication treatments. The department also said its July technical expert panel will focus on tapering and discontinuation guidance.

CMS guidance on Medicare reimbursement for deprescribing-related care is already part of the rollout, according to HHS. The next scheduled federal steps named in the announcement are the SAMHSA materials, the webinars and the July technical expert panel.

The Washington Examiner reported that administration officials are presenting the initiative as an informed-consent effort rather than an attempt to block SSRI access. Pharmacy Times reported that clinicians and mental health experts continue to stress that any medication discontinuation should distinguish withdrawal symptoms from addiction and follow individualized clinical guidance.