Deprescribing in Psychiatry:
A Comprehensive Overview
Paper Summary
Deprescribing in Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Overview
By Alexander Papp, MD, ABPN and Julie Myers, PsyD, MSCP | Point Loma Clinic, San Diego
Deprescribing, which is the supervised, intentional process of reducing or discontinuing medications when their risks outweigh their benefits, has emerged as one of the most important and contested topics in contemporary psychiatry. Driven by growing concerns about polypharmacy, long-term adverse effects of psychiatric medications, and poorly understood withdrawal syndromes including brain zaps, the field has matured significantly in recent years, culminating in the 2026 ASCP Task Force Consensus Statement and a landmark Lancet Psychiatry network meta-analysis. The case for deprescribing is strongest when it is individualized, evidence-based, and conducted with careful monitoring, ideally combining a psychiatrist’s pharmacological expertise with psychotherapeutic support to help patients navigate the transition safely.