Service Users Report Psychiatric Professionals as the Least Helpful Factor in Quitting Antipsychotics

A new study published in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice finds that psychiatrists and other doctors are the most unhelpful factor for service users attempting to withdraw from antipsychotics. In the current work, authored by John Read of the University of East London, participants cited lack of knowledge around withdrawal, refusal to support withdrawal, and threats/use of coercion as the main reasons they considered psychiatrists and other doctors unhelpful in their attempts to quit using antipsychotics.

Additionally, none of the participants in the current research were warned about the addictive nature of antipsychotic drugs, the possibility of withdrawal psychosis, or the need to reduce antipsychotic use gradually. According to the author, this is a clear breach of informed consent. He writes:

“Perhaps the most important new finding is that many patients find their psychiatrists, and other doctors, unhelpful. Some were described as uniformed; others as actively obstructive, trying to persuade or compel, patients to stay on the medication. The failure to be informed, and to inform, may be understand able if psychiatrists are relying on inaccurate guidelines, drug company information or cultural norms within psychiatry. Ignorance about withdrawal effects could lead to telling patients withdrawal symp toms do not exist, and/or misdiagnosing them as a relapse of the condition for which the drugs were prescribed. “