Gradually reducing antidepressant dosage along with structured psychological support can significantly improve the chances of safely discontinuing medication among adults who have recovered from depression, a new study showed on Friday.
Antidepressants are usually prescribed for six to nine months after a first episode of moderate-to-severe depression or anxiety to prevent relapse. However, concerns over long-term use, withdrawal symptoms and overprescribing have pushed the need for clearer, evidence-backed deprescribing methods.
To address this, researchers from the University of Verona, Italy, analysed 76 randomised controlled trials involving 17,379 adults in a systematic review and network meta-analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
The study emphasised that the findings do not imply antidepressants are unnecessary or that psychotherapy alone is sufficient. Instead, it highlights that deprescribing should be personalised, with slow, individualised tapering supported by structured psychological care.
“By incorporating a substantially larger evidence base and direct comparisons between strategies, our review clarifies the best ways to come off antidepressants and could influence how discontinuation is managed globally,” said lead author Professor Giovanni Ostuzzi.
The researchers estimated that slow tapering combined with psychological support could prevent one relapse for every five individuals compared with abrupt stopping or fast tapering — the two least effective methods.
Reduced-dose continuation was also found to be more effective than abrupt cessation, though with less robust evidence. Importantly, no significant differences in side effects or dropout rates were found across different deprescribing strategies.
“We encourage anyone considering coming off antidepressants to consult their doctor to find the most suitable approach,” Ostuzzi added.
–IANS
