RFK Jr. Announces New Plan to Tackle ‘Overmedicalization’ of Psychiatric Care

‘Too many patients begin treatment without a clear understanding of the risks,’ the health secretary said.

Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 22, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The federal government is taking steps to tackle what it described as the overprescribing of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at an event focused on “mental health and overmedicalization” in Washington on May 4.

Kennedy noted that a significant percentage of Americans take drugs for mental health, including around 10 percent of children.