Long-term antidepressant use is effective, but many people can come off them safely – new research

By Gemma Lewis, Lecturer, Psychiatry, UCL
Glyn Lewis, Professor of Epidemiological Psychiatry, UCL

The number of prescriptions written for antidepressants in wealthy countries has doubled in the past 20 years. This increase is mostly due to people staying on antidepressants for a long time. There are now many people who have been on these drugs for several years and feel fairly well, but are unsure whether they still benefit from taking them.

Many people who have had depression continue to take antidepressants for years for fear that if they stop, they might have a relapse. Most studies of antidepressants and…

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