The F.D.A.'s Panel on Antidepressants During Pregnancy Was Alarmingly Biased
My doctor at the time never informed me of the risks of going off antidepressants for someone with my clinical history. Even back then, there was research showing that pregnant women with a history of clinical depression had a high rate of relapse if they went off their meds. Use of S.S.R.I.s by pregnant women has been widely studied; while there are certainly risks associated with the medications (they include a slight increase in absolute risk of postpartum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia for the mother and a moderately increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight), there is ample evidence that untreated depression in mothers can have its own set of risks, including low birth weight and preterm birth.
I was pregnant by March, and by April my depression had relapsed. My extreme morning sickness didn't help matters, but I was a wreck. I wasn't sleeping, and I was so anxious that I bordered on delusional. I was convinced there would be a sarin gas attack on the subway, and every commute felt like a panic attack. My voice slowed and quieted, which is a typical cognitive sign of depression. I went back on Prozac by the end of my first trimester, and while my morning sickness was still oppressive, my mental health improved radically.
I wasn't an outlier in terms of going off meds. Studies have shown that almost half of women who are on antidepressants stop taking them while pregnant, and according to a study of nearly 400,000 women published in January, these women 'did not appear to substitute with psychotherapy' — in fact, there was 'a slight decrease in psychotherapy claims relative to a trend line.'
I tell you this as background for why I was eagerly awaiting the Food and Drug Administration's 'expert' panel last week on S.S.R.I.s and pregnancy. I was hoping for an in-depth, nuanced discussion of the benefits versus the risks of these well-studied drugs. I wanted someone to talk about how mental health care is inaccessible for so many pregnant women, and why those who would benefit from talk therapy alone may not be able to get it. I wanted to hear them discuss how ashamed many pregnant women feel if they are struggling with their mental health, because there is so much pressure to be joyful and glowing.
But that's not what happened. Most of the panelists were clearly biased against antidepressant use, and some disclosed conflicts of interest in a research paper that went undisclosed during the presentation. Some went as far as arguing that depressed pregnant women weren't experiencing medical problems at all, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2020, mental health conditions were the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States.
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'This one change—comprehensive physical exams—could dramatically reduce misdiagnosis, psychiatric hospitalizations, and iatrogenic harm,' Eastgate said. TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) admits that medical conditions can mimic psychiatric symptoms and must be ruled out. Psychiatrists use the term anosognosia —an alleged inability to recognize one's illness—as a rationale for forced treatment.[8] There is no objective test to confirm this theory. There are concerns about conflicts of interest in psychiatric diagnosis. Of the DSM-5 task force members, 69% had financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. They received $14.2 million—of which $8.4 million went to those determining criteria for drug-induced movement disorders like TD.[9] Meanwhile, mental health spending continues to soar with little to no measurable improvement in public outcomes. 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The U.S. has the highest suicide rate among developed countries and the second-highest drug-related death rate.[13] A third of individuals in psychiatric hospitals are re-admitted within a year,[14] and 31% are assaulted while institutionalized.[15] CCHR urges policymakers to: 'We need to abolish coercive psychiatric powers and first examine the harm already being done—and how much it's costing lives and taxpayers,' Eastgate concluded. CCHR's co-founder, the late psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz, stated: 'There is neither justification nor need for involuntary psychiatric interventions…. All history teaches us to beware of benefactors who deprive their beneficiaries of liberty.' Founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Prof. Szasz, CCHR is a non-profit mental health watchdog with chapters across six continents. Its mission is to expose and eradicate abuse in the mental health field and to restore human rights and dignity to mental health care. To learn more, visit: Sources: [1] [2] 'Antipsychotic Medications and Mortality in Children and Young Adults,' JAMA Psychiatry, 2024; [3] 'Chapter 25 – The psychopharmacology of catatonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, and dystonia,' Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol 165, 2019, [4] Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill, (Perseus Publishing, New York, 2002), pp. 207-208 [5] Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol 165, 2019 [6] [7] MEDICAL EVALUATION FIELD MANUAL, Stanford, CA, 1991, pp. 3-4, 18. [8] Thomas Szasz, MD, Coercion as Cure: A Critical History of Psychiatry, 2007, p. 22 [9] 'Undisclosed financial conflicts of interest in DSM-5-TR: cross sectional analysis,' BMJ, 10 Jan. 2024, [10] 'Addiction and mental health vs. physical health: Widening disparities in network use and provider reimbursement,' Milliman Research Report, C, 20 Nov. 2019 [11] [12] [13] [14] 'Readmission of Patients to Acute Psychiatric Hospitals: Influential Factors and Interventions to Reduce Psychiatric Readmission Rates,' Healthcare (Basel), 2022 Sep 19;10(9), [15] 'Fear, Neglect, Coercion, and Dehumanization: Is Inpatient Psychiatric Trauma Contributing to a Public Health Crisis?' Journal of Patient Experience, 9 Aug. 2022, MULTIMEDIA: Image link for media: Image Caption: Mental health industry watchdog, CCHR, is calling for a clinical and financial audit of the U.S. mental health system, warning that involuntary commitment of the homeless could raise mortality and healthcare costs. NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights Keywords: General Editorial, Citizens Commission on Human Rights, CCHR International, Jan Eastgate, U.S. mental health system, homeless, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Citizens Commission on Human Rights) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P128343 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
