Understanding claims about antidepressants
Air date: June 10, 2026
A recent Gallup poll found 18% of adults reported having depression last year. And depression rates for Americans under 30 and lower income adults have risen dramatically over the last eight years.
Antidepressant medications have been shown to help ease depressive symptoms. One common type of medication, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, were used by more than 11% of adults in 2023, according to CDC data. And adults in the Midwest take antidepressants more than any other region in the nation.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has been outwardly skeptical about the use of SSRIs, and last month, announced a plan to address the “overuse of psychiatric medications, especially among children” in favor of what he calls a more holistic approach to mental health.
But psychiatrists have warned that some of the claims about the side effects of antidepressants are misinformed, including that there’s an increased link to mass violence. And there’s concern that this move could limit access to treatment for millions who rely on it.
Guests:
– Jonathan Sadowsky, Ph.D., Professor, History of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
– Luis Felipe Amunategui, Ph.D., Child-Adolescent Psychologist, University Hospitals
– Karin Coifman, Ph.D., Professor, Psychological Sciences, Kent State University