Almost half of long-term antidepressant users ‘could quit with GP support’

Antidepressants are recommended for up to two years’s use in most cases, the researchers said. Photograph: Liudmila Dutko/Alamy

Almost half of long-term antidepressant users could stop taking the medication with GP support and access to internet or telephone helplines, a study suggests.

Scientists said more than 40% of people involved in the research who were well and not at risk of relapse managed to come off the drugs with advice from their doctors.