ArticleHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2024
The lived experience of withdrawal from Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants: A qualitative interview study.
Article in Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A systematic review of manipulations to pharmaceutical dosage forms used in psychotropic tapering plans.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- Treatment-Related Factors for Medication Non-Adherence Among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2026Article
- 'I Wish It Were More Often Told to People Before They Are Prescribed These Medications How Hard It Is to Get Off Them': A Qualitative Descriptive Analysis of Free-Text Responses to a Survey on Reducing and Stopping Psychiatric Medication.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Rebound effect, discontinuation, and withdrawal syndromes associated with drugs used in psychiatric and neurological disorders.Pharmacological reports : PR · 2025Review
- Learning Latent Profiles via Cognitive Growth Charting in Psychosis: Design and Rationale for the PRECOGNITION Project.Schizophrenia bulletin open · 2025Article
- The lived experience of withdrawal from Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants: A qualitative interview study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOur knowledge of the broader impacts of antidepressant withdrawal, beyond physical side effects, is limited. Further research is needed to investigate the lived experiences of withdrawal, to aid clinicians on how to guide patients through the process.
aimTo explore antidepressant users' experiences and views on the withdrawal process and how it affected their quality of life across multiple life domains. DESIGN AND
settingWe conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 individuals from the community who had attempted to withdraw from Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor antidepressants in the past year.
methodSemi-structured interviews were conducted online. A topic guide was used to ensure consistency across interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsFive themes were generated. The first highlighted the challenges of managing the release from emotional blunting and cognitive suppression following antidepressant discontinuation. The second related to the negative impact of withdrawal on close relationships and social interactions. The third showed that concurrent with negative physical symptoms, there was a positive impact on health (exercise was reported by some as a coping mechanism). The fourth theme focused on support from GPs and families, emphasising the importance of mental health literacy in others. The final theme underscored the importance of gradual and flexible tapering in enabling a manageable withdrawal experience, and the consideration of timing.
conclusionThe lived experience of withdrawal significantly impacts individuals' well-being. Participants emphasised that withdrawal is not just about physical side effects but also affects their emotional, cognitive, and social functioning. PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT (PPI): Eight people attended individual online meetings to share their experiences of antidepressant withdrawal to help inform the study design and recruitment strategy. Insights from these meetings informed the development of the topic guide. Questions about GP involvement, family relationships, and mood and thinking changes were included based on this PPI work. This ensured the inclusion of topics important to antidepressant users and facilitated the researcher's questioning during the interviews.
Indexed as
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.