Is RFK Jr. actually banning SSRIs? Here's what Floridians taking antidepressants need to know
Are antidepressants next on Trump's chopping block?
President Donald Trump issued an executive order last week to establish the "Make America Healthy Again Commission" to target chronic diseases, especially mental illnesses.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will chair the committee. The order outlines ways they plan to combat chronic illness, including education on healthy lifestyles and the effects of new technological habits.
The order also highlights statistics regarding America's high chronic disease percentage and lower life expectancy compared to other countries.
"To fully address the growing health crisis in America, we must re-direct our national focus, in the public and private sectors, toward understanding and drastically lowering chronic disease rates and ending childhood chronic disease," the order states. " … We must restore the integrity of the scientific process by protecting expert recommendations from inappropriate influence and increasing transparency regarding existing data. We must ensure our healthcare system promotes health rather than just managing disease."
Some of the commission's goals involve targeting mental health and the use of antidepressants. Here's what to know.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also called SSRIs, are one of the most prescribed antidepressants. They can treat symptoms of depression and other conditions, such as generalized anxiety.
The Mayo Clinic explains how SSRIs work, noting that serotonin is one of many chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters, which carry signals between nerve cells in the brain.
"After carrying a signal between brain cells, serotonin usually is taken back into those cells, a process called reuptake. But SSRIs block this process," the clinic writes. "Blocking reuptake makes more serotonin available to help pass messages between brain cells. SSRIs are called selective because they mainly affect serotonin, not other neurotransmitters."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved these SSRIs to treat depression:
Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
SSRIs are a specific type of antidepressant.
Antidepressants are common prescription medications that can help treat depression and other conditions, such as anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 8.3% of U.S. adults ages 18 or older had a major depressive episode in 2021; for those aged 18-25, this rate jumped to 18.6%. The monthly antidepressant dispensing rate for young people increased 66.3% from January 2016 to December 2022, according to a 2024 study in the journal Pediatrics.
Several types of antidepressants target specific neurotransmitters, including:
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
As of now, no. The executive order says it will address the possible overmedication of children and the risks of antidepressants.
One of the commission's goals is to "assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs."
According to NBC News, some SSRIs are approved for children starting at ages 6 to 10 depending on their condition; however, they are far more commonly used by adults than minors.
Kennedy has been vocal about his distrust for antidepressants; however, many health experts claim he is spreading misinformation about their drugs' impacts.
In 2024, Kennedy speculated that antidepressant use could explain the rise of school shootings, despite a lack of scientific evidence to support such claims.
'There's no time in American history or human history that kids were going to schools and shooting their classmates,' Kennedy told the comedian Bill Maher on an episode of the podcast 'Club Random With Bill Maher' in April 2024. 'It happened, you know, it really started happening conterminous with the introduction of these drugs, with Prozac and the other drugs.'
When asked about this during a hearing with the Senate Finance Committee last month, he lacked a clear response on whether he stood by his claims. 'It should be studied along with other potential culprits,' he said, adding, 'I just want to have good science.'
Kennedy also compared serotonin uptake inhibitors SSRIs to heroin addiction.
'Listen, I know people, including members of my family, who've had a much worse time getting off of SSRIs than people have getting off heroin,' he said.
USA TODAY interviewed psychiatric nurse practitioner Sean Leonard who disagreed with any comparison between SSRIs and heroin.
'Serotonin receptor sites versus the opiate receptor sites is night and day,' Leonard says. 'It's so hard to come off an opiate. Your brain craves it, your body craves it; serotonin, not so much.'
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Trump targets antidepressants in executive order. What to know
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
ThinkCareBelieve: Week 22 of America's Rise to Greatness under President Trump's Leadership
Washington, DC, June 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Link to ThinkCareBelieve's Article: has published an article about Week 22 of America's rise to greatness. This week entailed outstanding leadership by a steady hand through choppy waters and ThinkCareBelieve's article shows how the President kept moving forward at a strong, surefooted pace. ThinkCareBelieve's article has important progress made at the G7 and the signing of major trade agreements as tensions between Iran and Israel took place. The message from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this week was "Trust in President Trump." Great nations are made because of great leaders and this week was proof of it. America has just had the highest wage increase in 60 years and the article has it. Real blue collar wages are up nearly 2%! America's low inflation and rising wages is a sure sign of success. Two new 88 foot high flag poles were installed this week, a magnificent addition to the White House grounds. The article has the latest on the status of student visas from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump's approval numbers keep going up! The article covers the Genius Act being passed by the Senate and the announcement that 70,000 people have signed up for President Trump's Gold Card Visa. The article has an abundance of reasons the One Big Beautiful Bill will benefit Americans. The OBBB will drive growth and supercharge the American economy. The article even has a tax-free tips and overtime calculator to see the average savings in your state: The article has statements by Dr. OZ the Administrator of the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services on just how the One Big Beatiful Bill will help the most vulnerable of us who will suffer if the OBBB is not passed. The article also covers the great strides made by Secretary Kennedy convincing major food manufacturers to remove artificial food dyes and chemicals from their foods. The article also has an announcement by U.S. Attoney Jeanine Pirro of the U.S. Department of Justice crackdown on Crypto Currency Confidence Scams with confiscation and seizure of stolen money being returned back to the victims. Numerous investigations commenced this week and ThinkCareBelieve's article has the surge in attacks on ICE as they tried to do their jobs arresting criminal illegal aliens, catching child predators and dismantling trafficking networks. President Trump is the Man in the Arena and we are witessing history seeing how this man leads us through the muck and the mire to peace and prosperity in America's Golden Age. is an outlook. ThinkCareBelieve's mission for Peace advocacy facilitates positive outcomes and expanded possibilities. To achieve Peace, we will find the commonalities between diverse groups and bring the focus on common needs, working together toward shared goals. Activism is an important aspect of ThinkCareBelieve, because public participation and awareness to issues needing exposure to light leads to justice. Improved transparency in government can lead to changes in policy and procedure resulting in more fluid communication between the public and the government that serves them. America needs hope right now, and Americans need to be more involved in their government. ### CONTACT: CONTACT: Joanne COMPANY: ThinkCareBelieve EMAIL: joanne@ WEB: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
Health care workers on alert for ICE raids in hospitals
President Trump's whittling away of protected places for immigrants has fueled fears among health care workers that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will arrest patients in or around hospitals. In January, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era policy that protected certain areas like churches, schools and hospitals from immigration enforcement. And lawmakers in at least one state have introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for ICE to make arrests in hospitals. As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeks to ramp up ICE raids at hotels, restaurants, farms and other sites, nurses worry their workplace could be next. 'We were all worried about what this meant,' Michael Kennedy, a nurse at a University of California, San Diego health facility located very near the U.S.-Mexico border, said of the policy changes under Trump. 'As we've seen these immigration raids ramp up, our first thought is about our patients and what that means for them.' ICE agents made a record number of migrant arrests in a single day this month and have appeared outside of courthouses in Seattle and stores in the New York City area. The agency's workplace raids in Los Angeles spurred days of protests, which in turn prompted a heavy-handed response from the Trump administration. Sandy Reding is a nurse at a hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., which serves communities of farm workers and employs a diverse staff. 'There is a lot of concern [about] ICE agents showing up with FBI or with the military, because we've seen a lot of reports on TV, and we have reports in our area where this is happening as well,' she said. Reding and her fellow nurses, she said, are also worried that the news of increased ICE raids will deter some patients from coming to the hospital to seek care. 'What we are going to see is a large burden on communities and hospitals if people delay care,' Reding said. 'And there are worse outcomes.' Nancy Hagan, an intensive care unit nurse at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City, said those concerns have come to fruition at her hospital. In May, she said, an immigrant New Yorker had appendicitis but waited too long to go to the emergency room. Their appendix burst, spreading infected tissue and bacteria to other organs, which ultimately killed them. 'Once patients hear that a hospital is no longer a safe place for them to go, they are afraid to come to the hospital,' she said. Hagan, a Haitian immigrant, added that she and her colleagues, who work at hospitals across the city, have noticed that emergency rooms appear to be emptier in recent months. Kennedy, the nurse in San Diego, said the Level 1 trauma center, which is typically packed, has been emptier than usual. He admitted the decline in patient visits could be seasonally related, but he said he believes that the possibility of ICE agents arresting immigrants is having a 'chilling effect.' 'I can't see how this doesn't affect our patients' willingness to seek care,' he said. 'I'm willing to bet that a lot of people are delaying care because they're afraid.' ICE did not get back to The Hill in response to questions on whether agents have arrested people in or around hospitals, or if there are plans to do so. DHS announced in January that it had rescinded former President Biden's guidelines on immigration enforcement at 'sensitive locations' that were first issued under former President Obama. 'The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,' a DHS spokesperson said at the time. The National Immigration Law Center said that while immigrants no longer have special protections at hospitals and other 'sensitive locations,' they still have basic rights. 'Instead, individuals will need to rely on basic constitutional protections in these spaces,' it said in a fact sheet. 'Specifically, the Fourth Amendment protects all individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Fifth Amendment ensures the right to remain silent when confronted by law enforcement.' The Emergency Medicine Residents' Association has distributed a flyer with step-by-step guidance for health care workers on dealing with ICE agents if they do enter hospitals.
The Hill
9 hours ago
- The Hill
Delaware governor signs executive order protecting gender-affirming care
On Friday, Delaware Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order increasing protection for receivers and providers of gender-affirming care. 'In Delaware, we cherish privacy, dignity and the right to make personal medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to access healthcare rooted in science and compassion,' said Meyer. The executive order prohibits any state agency from providing 'medical records, data or billing information, or utilize state resources' that could help any criminal or civil investigation against someone receiving or providing gender-affirming care. It also dictated that the state professional regulations board cannot disbar healthcare professionals only due to providing gender-affirming care. California, New York, Illinois and 11 other states, and Washington, D.C., have enacted similar legislation to shield patients and doctors from aggressive legislation in states where gender-affirming care is highly restricted. Patients can now travel to shield states to receive their care without fear of retribution in their home states. This comes after a Supreme Court decision on June 18 that upheld Tennessee's decision to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. 'This ruling undermines doctors in delivering care to some of the most vulnerable patients in our country,' Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress, said Wednesday on the social platform X. Since President Trump took office transgender rights have increasingly been limited. Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders, has tried to ban transgender troops from the military, has refused requests to change the gender of passports and has tried to defund gender-affirming medical care. Delaware has a long history of tolerance for LGBTQ populations. According to the order, the state hosts 40,000 LGBTQ individuals and 6,300 transgender adults. In 2013, it legalized same sex marriage and implemented anti-discrimination laws in housing, employment and public accommodation. 'We will do everything in our power to protect transgender families in the state of Delaware and throughout the country,' the Executive Committee of the Delaware Democratic Party PRIDE Caucus said in a press statement earlier this week. 'We call on every legislator, from the state and county level to the federal level, to speak out and step up. This is the moment to act – not with caution, but with courage.'
