Long-Term Antidepressant Use Tied to Increased Withdrawal Symptoms Risk

Individuals who have been using antidepressants for over two years are considerably more prone to encounter withdrawal effects when discontinuing the medication as opposed to those who use them for shorter durations, according to a recent study conducted under the leadership of UCL researchers.

Prolonged users also face more severe withdrawal effects that last longer compared to those who use it briefly. Additionally, these long-term users find it harder to quit the substance when they try to discontinue, as per the research outcomes detailed in the publication. Psychiatry Research .

Dr. Mark Horowitz, a visiting clinical researcher at UCL Division of Psychiatry and the principal investigator of the study, stated: “These results support what numerous scholars have posited for years; the probability of encountering withdrawal effects after discontinuing antidepressants primarily hinges on how long they were used.”

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