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Statement on Mental Health and Access to Evidence-Based Care

The IOCDF is proud to be a member of the Mental Health Liaison Group, which distributed the below statement. To learn more about appropriate treatment for OCD, including the use of medication and SSRIs, visit IOCDF’s Treatment Guide.

Following the MAHA Institute May 4, 2026, Summit entitled, “Mental Health and Overmedicalization,” and HHS’ MAHA Action Plan to Curb Psychiatric Overprescribing, the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG)— a nonprofit coalition of national organizations representing people with mental health and substance use conditions, family members and caregivers, providers of mental health and substance use treatment and support, advocates, and other stakeholders— reaffirms that improving mental health outcomes requires expanding access to comprehensive, evidence-based care.

MHLG recognizes that mental health care should be appropriate, individualized, and guided by clinical expertise and informed patient decision-making. The goal is the right care, delivered at the right time and tailored to each person’s unique needs.

A strong body of evidence supports a range of effective, individualized treatments, including psychotherapy and, when clinically appropriate, medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). These treatments are effective for many individuals when appropriately prescribed, monitored, and supported as part of a comprehensive care plan. Individuals should be supported in working with their health care providers to determine and refine over time the care plan, including the benefits and risks, that best meets their needs, and engage in medical professional recommendation-based treatment, which for many may include psychotherapy and medication as part of a comprehensive approach to care.

Public discussion of mental health treatment should be informed by scientific evidence to support informed decision-making and patient-centered care. Misinformation or claims not supported by evidence may discourage individuals from seeking or continuing treatment, particularly at a time when many already face significant barriers to care.

MHLG supports policies that support ongoing research to expand access to comprehensive, evidence-based mental health services, reduce stigma, and strengthen the ability of individuals to initiate and remain engaged in appropriate care across the continuum of prevention, treatment, crisis and recovery. These priorities are consistent with MHLG’s principles, available at https://www.mhlg.org/about-us/

MHLG stands ready to engage with the Administration and policymakers as they consider and advance approaches impacting mental health care.

The Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) is a nonprofit coalition of national organizations representing people with mental health and substance use conditions, family members and caregivers, providers of mental health and substance use treatment and support, advocates, and other stakeholders committed to strengthening Americans’ access to mental health and substance use care. As trusted leaders in the field, our 100+ member organizations are dedicated to elevating the national conversation around mental health and substance use. Together, we work to advance federal policies that support prevention, early intervention, treatment, crisis response, and recovery services and supports.

The post Statement on Mental Health and Access to Evidence-Based Care appeared first on International OCD Foundation.

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Genotype-Guided Antidepressants Could Have Long-Term Benefits

Prescribing antidepressants according to a patient’s genetic makeup could help manage depressive symptoms in the long-term, a clinical trial suggests.

The findings, in JAMA Network Open, suggest pharmacogenetic guidance could have extended benefits, which may not be apparent early on.

Primary results did not indicate that genotype-guided SSRI treatment was better than usual care at three months in A Depression and Opioid Pragmatic Trial in Pharmacogenetics (ADOPT PGx).

However, significantly more patients receiving genotype-guided therapy achieved the secondary endpoint of depression remission at six months.

“Although outcomes were similar early in treatment, differences emerged over time,” noted Kathryn Blake, PharmD, from Nemours Center for Pharmacogenomics and Translational Research in Jacksonville, Florida, and colleagues.

“These findings suggest a possible longer-term clinical benefit and indicate that future studies should focus on evaluating the durability and long-term impact of genotype-guided prescribing in the management of depressive symptoms.”

SSRIs are the most common pharmacotherapy for depression and variants in cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 can affect their metabolism, influencing exposure to this medication.

Indeed, guidelines from the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) provide recommendations for SSRI prescribing when genotype information is available.

However, most psychiatry experts and practice guidelines for treating depression have not yet endorsed pharmacogenetic-informed therapy, citing insufficient evidence.

ADOPT PGx was a set of three randomized clinical trials, designed to test whether routine use of pharmacogenetic testing improves medication response among patients with depression, acute pain, or chronic pain.

The ADOPT PGx Depression trial included 221 children and 1239 adults, aged eight years or older who had experienced depression for three months or longer.

A total of 692 patients (47.4%) had an actionable phenotype, of whom 351 (50.7%) were assigned to the intervention, and 341 (49.3%) to usual care.

Among this group, two-thirds reported having depressive symptoms for more than two years, and three quarters were female. The vast majority were on pharmacologic treatment, at 87.1%, with just over half receiving nonpharmacologic treatment.

Participants were randomly assigned to genotype-guided SSRI prescribing or usual care to examine whether pharmacogenetic guidance improves depression over six months.

At three months, there were no significant differences between the intervention and usual care groups in the primary endpoint of change in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) depression T scores among patients with an actionable phenotype.

At this timepoint, there were also no differences in the secondary outcome of adverse effect severity.

However, another secondary endpoint of depression remission according to a PROMIS depression T-score of 16 or less was more likely with the intervention than usual care, at 48.3% (153 of 317 patients) versus 39.4%. (122 of 310 patients).

Based on this, the authors proposed: “These findings suggest that pharmacogenetic testing, including evaluation for CYP2D6 enzyme inhibition (phenoconversion), may offer meaningful benefit with longer follow-up.”

The post Genotype-Guided Antidepressants Could Have Long-Term Benefits appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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STAT+: Pharma’s reputation among patient groups rose last year, but concerns remain over access and pricing

The pharmaceutical industry saw its reputation among patient groups inch up last year, but the rise masks fresh concerns about the extent to which some companies are sufficiently focusing on patient needs, according to a new survey.

Of more than 2,400 groups queried, 57% reported that drugmakers had an “excellent” or “good” reputation as they went about the business of developing and providing medicines. That was up a notch from 56% in 2024 and back to the level seen the previous year. Even so, the results place the industry below the 60% rating in 2022.

The biggest factors contributing to the slight turnabout were patient centricity — which refers to prioritizing patient needs — and ensuring patient safety, according to PatientView, a research firm that canvassed patient groups from 35 countries between December 2025 and March 2026. The firm rated the reputation of 47 companies.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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STAT+: A new attack on AMA’s billing codes

You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Brain Reid, who writes a newsletter on drug pricing policies, wrote “health care [sic]” in his Friday edition. I feel like a huge dork for laughing at that “sic” notation. Share your thoughts on the AP’s new compound noun dictum here, and send news tips to John.Wilkerson@statnews.com or John_Wilkerson.07 on Signal.

CPT codes are the new front in fraud allegations

House oversight committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is taking aim at the American Medical Association, linking the biggest doctor lobby’s billing codes to potential fraud, waste, and abuse.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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STAT+: Are analysts too quick to gloss over Lilly’s liver case?

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox.

Good morning. I was having a fine day yesterday until my colleague shared this game that tests how good (or how bad in my case) your color perception is.

The need-to-know this morning

  • Vertex Pharma reported first-quarter earnings that generally matched consensus, although the company said it was shelving an early stage, mRNA-based therapy for cystic fibrosis due to poor tolerability. The drug, called VX-522, was being developed as part of a collaboration with Moderna. 
  • Pfizer and Alkermes also reported earnings.
  • Viridian Therapeutics announced positive top-line results from a Phase 3 study of its drug, called elegrobart, in patients with chronic thyroid eye disease.

Cytokinetics drug Myqorzo meets twin efficacy goals in study of genetic heart disease

Cytokinetics said its drug Myqorzo significantly improved heart failure symptoms and cardiovascular fitness in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited heart disorder.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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<![CDATA[New cohort and global data link teen high-potency cannabis use to higher psychosis, bipolar, and suicide risks. Here’s what psychiatrists and mental health clinicians should know in the era of legalization.]]>
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<![CDATA[HHS rolls out a plan to curb psychiatric overprescribing, pushing deprescribing guidance as APA and AFSP urge caution and access to care.]]>
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<![CDATA[Explore how chatbot brains diverge and compete with human brains. ]]>
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about RFK Jr. targeting antidepressants, J&J pushing an IBD drug, and more

Rise and shine, another busy day is on the way. However, this is also shaping up as a beautiful day as well, given the clear and sunny skies — and delicious breezes — enveloping the Pharmalot campus this morning. This calls for celebration with a cup of stimulation, and we are opening a new package of cinnamon buns for the occasion. Spring has sprung, after all. What is upon us right now, however, is our ever-growing to-do list. Sound familiar? So here are some items of interest. Have a great day, everyone. …

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced several initiatives intended to rein in the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the most widely prescribed class of antidepressants, which he has described as exceptionally difficult to quit, The New York Times writes. The initiative focuses on the most widely prescribed class of psychiatric medications, first-line treatments for depression and anxiety that include Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, and Prozac. In 2026. 16.7% of U.S. adults, or roughly one in six, reported currently taking one of these pills. The changes — new trainings, reimbursement mechanisms, and clinical guidelines — nudge clinicians to help patients get off medications, and to consider non-pharmaceutical interventions, like therapy, nutrition, and exercise.

A closely watched therapy developed by Johnson & Johnson failed to show a statistically meaningful improvement for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. But the company plans to advance the drug into late-stage testing, focusing on a growing subgroup of patients, STAT tells us. On Tuesday, trial investigators presented the results of a study that tested how well combining the drugs Tremfya and Simponi would stop the immune system from mistakenly attacking healthy tissues in the digestive tract. J&J tested the combined therapy in two Phase 2b clinical trials hitting both major forms of inflammatory bowel disease — ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In each trial, the combination performed better than the individual drugs, but did not meet the primary endpoint of clinical remission. 

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…