WISE USE (antidepressant) survey
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experience of psychotropic use and withdrawal effects reported by patients in an IAPT service (WISE USE).
IRAS ID
271524
Contact name
Mark Horowitz
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North East London Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 0 days
Research summary
The aim of this study is to better understand the experience of using and stopping psychotropic medication within the NELFT Improved Access to Psychological therapies (IAPT) population. About 50% of patients receiving treatment from IAPT are currently using psychotropic medication.
Withdrawal effects are increasingly recognised with antidepressant medication, including their ability to be severe and long-lasting. However, it is not known what proportion of patients will experience withdrawal effects, and what proportion will be severe or long-lasting. Previous research of these effects have focused on short-term use or have used samples not representative of the wider UK population. In this study we plan to recruit a group of patients likely to be more representative of the UK primary care population as a whole.
It is already known that patients have mixed opinions about psychotropic medication – in terms of both the burden of side effects and their therapeutic effects. Many patients consider discontinuing them but many patients are fearful of doing so.
We would like to further investigate in this cohort of primary care patients with common anxious and depressive disorders their experience of use of psychotropic medication, in terms of perceived side effects and benefits, if they have considered discontinuing this medication, barriers and enablers of this as well as their experience of having stopped it in the past.
We have conducted a preliminary analysis of the routinely collected data within the IAPT service in relation to treatment outcomes and results found an association between use of psychotropic medication and poorer treatment outcomes, when all other variables are controlled, suggesting the possibility that stopping medication might improve outcomes in this population.
The data will also be used to assess these patients willingness to be included in a future study looking at the most effective way of tapering off psychotropic medication.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/PR/0423
Date of REC Opinion
9 Oct 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion