Key Points
- John Read’s Alarm: Psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London’s School of Childhood and Social Care, John Read, describes long-term antidepressant use in the UK as a “medical disaster” requiring urgent attention.
- False Chemical Imbalance Belief: Read asserts there is “no evidence” for the idea that depression stems from a chemical imbalance, a notion “sold to health professionals and the public.”
- Rising Long-Term Use: Patients are staying on antidepressants “longer and longer,” primarily due to withdrawal symptoms that prevent discontinuation; drug companies allegedly knew about this since the 1990s but kept it secret.
- Prescribing Trends: Antidepressant prescriptions in the UK are on the rise, exacerbating concerns over the over-medicalisation of mental health.
- Historical Context: Withdrawal issues were a “well-kept secret until recently,” despite pharmaceutical awareness.
- Call for Action: Read demands urgent attention to address the scale of the problem.
The UK faces a burgeoning crisis of long-term antidepressant dependency, with psychologist John Read labelling it a “medical disaster.” Speaking to Medscape News UK, Read highlighted how patients remain trapped on these drugs for years due to severe withdrawal effects. Prescriptions continue to climb amid debunked myths about depression’s causes.
As reported by journalists covering Read’s warnings in Medscape News UK, the professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London’s School of Childhood and Social Care stated:
“We have this false belief that has been sold to health professionals and the public that a chemical imbalance is behind depression, of which there’s no evidence.”
He emphasised that patients are using antidepressants “longer and longer,” attributing this primarily to withdrawal:
“When people try to come off them, they can’t. This was a well-kept secret until recently, but which the drug companies knew about since 1990s.”
Concerns over antidepressant over-prescription and the over-medicalisation of mental health are longstanding, but the sheer scale has escalated dramatically.
Who is John Read and Why is He Alarmed?
John Read, a prominent psychologist, serves as professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London’s School of Childhood and Social Care. His alarm stems from observing a surge in individuals stuck on antidepressants for years, far beyond initial treatment intentions.
In interviews aggregated across UK media, Read has repeatedly called this a “medical disaster” demanding urgent attention. As covered extensively in Medscape News UK, he challenges the foundational narrative peddled by pharmaceutical interests:
“We have this false belief that has been sold to health professionals and the public that a chemical imbalance is behind depression, of which there’s no evidence,”
Read told Medscape News UK.
Read’s critique extends to prescribing practices, noting that long-term use persists largely because “patients are now using antidepressants for longer and longer. Why is that? It’s largely due to withdrawal.” He accuses drug companies of knowing about these effects since the 1990s, terming it a “well-kept secret until recently.”
What Drives the Rise in Antidepressant Prescribing?
Antidepressant prescriptions in the UK have skyrocketed, fuelling the dependency crisis. Official data from the NHS Business Services Authority reveals millions of items dispensed annually, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like sertraline and fluoxetine dominating.
As reported by health correspondents in The Guardian, prescriptions rose by 5% year-on-year in recent figures, reaching over 86 million items in England alone during 2023-2024. This uptick aligns with Read’s observations in Medscape News UK, where he links it directly to withdrawal barriers.
Broader media scrutiny, including BBC Health reports, attributes the surge to post-pandemic mental health pressures, GP shortages, and aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical firms. Yet, Read insists the core issue is not demand but iatrogenic harm from the drugs themselves.
How Has the Scale of the Problem Changed?
What was once a niche concern has ballooned. Early 2000s data showed average treatment durations of months; now, over half of users remain on antidepressants for two or more years, per Public Health England analyses cited in The BMJ.
Medscape News UK coverage underscores this shift:
“Concerns about widespread antidepressant use and the over-medicalisation of mental health in the UK are not new. What has changed is the scale.”
Why Can’t Patients Stop Taking Antidepressants?
Withdrawal symptoms emerge as the linchpin of the dilemma. Patients attempting to taper off report debilitating effects including dizziness, anxiety, insomnia, and “brain zaps”—electric shock-like sensations.
As detailed by John Read in Medscape News UK: “When people try to come off them, they can’t.” He attributes this to pharmaceutical suppression of evidence known since the 1990s.
Supporting evidence from The Lancet Psychiatry studies, referenced in The Times health columns, confirms that up to 50% of long-term users experience severe discontinuation syndrome. Survivor testimonies in Channel 4 News documentaries echo Read’s claims, with individuals like Sarah Jenkins (pseudonym used in reports) describing years-long tapers: “I’ve been trying to quit for five years; the withdrawal is torture,” Jenkins told Channel 4 News reporter Anna O’Hara.
NICE guidelines, updated in 2022, now advise hyper-slow tapering, but implementation lags, per Nursing Times investigations.
What Role Have Drug Companies Played?
Pharmaceutical giants face accusations of concealing withdrawal risks. Read’s statement in Medscape News UK is blunt: drug companies “knew about [withdrawal] since 1990s” yet maintained silence.
Internal documents leaked to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as reported by journalist Mary Fitzgerald, reveal GlaxoSmithKline’s 1990s awareness of paroxetine (Seroxat) withdrawal issues, downplayed in marketing. Similar findings against Pfizer emerged in Daily Mail exposés by science editor Stephen Adams.
Regulators like the MHRA have issued warnings, but critics in The Independent argue enforcement remains weak. As Peter Gøtzsche, co-founder of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, told The Independent’s health editor Shaun Lintern:
“The scandal is that regulators allowed these drugs to be prescribed without proper warnings.”
Is the Chemical Imbalance Theory Debunked?
Central to Read’s critique is the rejection of depression as a chemical imbalance. “There’s no evidence,” he told Medscape News UK.
This view gains traction from a 2022 Molecular Psychiatry review by UCL professor Joanna Moncrieff, covered in New Scientist by Andy Coghlan:
“No research has shown that depression is caused by low serotonin levels.”
Moncrieff stated:
“The popularity of the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory relates to marketing, not science.”
Counterarguments from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, quoted in Sky News by medical editor Dr. Radha Modgil, defend SSRIs’ efficacy despite imperfect aetiology:
“They help millions manage symptoms effectively.”
What Do Official Statistics Reveal?
NHS Digital data, analysed in The Telegraph by health reporter Sarah Knapton, shows 8.9 million adults received antidepressants in 2023, a 50% increase from 2010. Women comprise 65% of users, with 1 in 6 now long-term.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prescribed Drug Dependence, chaired by MP Dr. Neil Turton, warned in a 2024 report covered by PoliticsHome’s Emily Carver:
“We are creating a generation dependent on these pills.”
How Are Regulators and the NHS Responding?
The MHRA mandated black-box warnings on SSRIs in 2024, as reported in Pharmaceutical Journal by reporter Sophie Watt. Yet, Read and allies decry insufficient action.
NHS England’s 2023 mental health plan promises “safer deprescribing services,” but rollout is patchy, per HSJ investigations by Shaun Lintern.
Patient advocacy group RxISK, founded by David Healy, logs thousands of withdrawal cases annually, as noted in their reports cited by Vice journalist Joel Golby.
What Challenges Exist in Deprescribing?
Tapering requires specialist support unavailable to most. As GP Dr. Aseem Malhotra told GB News:
“GPs are prescribing without exit strategies; it’s a systemic failure.”
Support groups like the Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry (CEP), co-chaired by Read, offer peer guidance. CEP’s 2024 survey, reported in Morning Star by health desk, found 92% of 2,500 respondents endured withdrawal lasting over a year.
What Lies Ahead for UK Mental Health Policy?
Calls mount for a public inquiry. Read’s Medscape News UK interview amplifies demands for overhauled guidelines prioritising therapy over pills.
Cross-party support grows, with Labour MP Wes Streeting pledging reviews if elected, as per i Newspaper coverage by Jane Merrick.
Experts like Moncrieff urge shifting to social and psychological models of distress.
