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User Perspectives on Professional Support and Service Use During Psychiatric Medication Discontinuation

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15 September 2022 Editor’s Note: Readers are alerted that data used in this article from openICSPR https://www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/109272/version/V1/view/ is no longer available. A further editorial response will follow the resolution of this issue.

Abstract

Psychiatric medication discontinuation is common and can have negative impacts. Until recently, most research on discontinuation happened in an adherence/compliance framework. There is now recognition that discontinuation may be a desired goal for many individuals. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the results of a pioneering survey to explore professional support to service users during medication discontinuation to inform clinical practice and guide future research. Survey responses from 250 service users were summarized with regard to their use of prescriber and psychotherapy services during the process of discontinuing psychiatric medication. Only 65% of respondents reported seeing a prescriber and less than 50% reported seeing a psychotherapist while attempting to discontinue psychiatric medication. Combined with respondents’ answers describing the decision-making process and support received from these services, this paper identifies gaps in service and the need to improve providers’ ability to support individuals while they discontinue psychiatric medication.

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Funding

The current study was not funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA

    Sabrina Darrow

  2. Live & Learn, Inc, School of Global and Community Health, Claremont Graduate University, 785 Quintana Road, Suite 219, Morro Bay, CA, 93442, USA

    Morgan Pelot & Laysha Ostrow

  3. Independent Researcher, Rockville, MD, 20853, USA

    Sarah Naeger

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  1. Sabrina Darrow
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  2. Morgan Pelot
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  3. Sarah Naeger
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  4. Laysha Ostrow
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Correspondence to Sabrina Darrow.

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Conflict of interest

At the time of manuscript preparation, SN was an employee of Evidera and may have owned stock and/or stock options in the company. At present, SN is employed by Sanofi and may hold stock and/or stock options in the company. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest.

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The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Human Services Research Institute, and all participants provided informed consent. All authors certify responsibility for the current manuscript.

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Darrow, S., Pelot, M., Naeger, S. et al. User Perspectives on Professional Support and Service Use During Psychiatric Medication Discontinuation. Community Ment Health J 58, 1416–1424 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00933-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00933-3

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