Leading psychiatry organizations are calling for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be removed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), warning that his policies threaten recent progress in mental health and addiction treatment.
The Southern California Psychiatry Society, which represents over 1,000 clinicians, and the newly formed Committee to Protect Public Mental Health, a grassroots group of more than 50 members, released statements criticizing Kennedy’s leadership. They argue his actions have increased stigma, spread fear, and limited access to essential psychiatric and addiction care.
The groups cite Kennedy’s efforts to shutter the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and his decision to fire key staff earlier this year as major setbacks. SAMHSA has played a central role in reducing overdose deaths through funding state and local prevention efforts, said Dr. Steven Sharfstein, a past president of the American Psychiatric Association. He warned that Kennedy’s actions risk creating “a rolling crisis” as Medicaid cuts and reduced federal support undermine care for people with serious mental illness.
HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard defended Kennedy, saying he remains committed to “dismantling the failed status quo” and delivering on the administration’s health promises.
Kennedy has also drawn sharp criticism for his “Make Our Children Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, which psychiatrists say misrepresents research on psychiatric medications. The report calls for restricting access to treatments widely used for conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and ADHD. Dr. Emily Wood, co-chair of the Southern California Psychiatric Association, said the report ignores the scientific consensus and risks deterring people from seeking help.
Source: NPR