MISSD Calls for Global Action on Medication-Induced Suicide Risks

Foundation Urges Health Regulators Worldwide to Strengthen Warnings and Transparency

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As countries prepare to mark World Mental Health Day on October 10, the Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin (MISSD) is urging health leaders to confront a critical reality: certain commonly prescribed medications can trigger suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

"People in every country deserve accurate information about medication risks," said Wendy Dolin, MISSD founder. "Yet warnings are often missing or inconsistent across borders. Greater awareness and transparency can save lives."

A recent French television investigation underscored the importance of honest risk communication through the story of 16-year-old Romain Schmitt, who had no history of depression and died shortly after beginning an antidepressant. All selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can cause akathisia—a medication-induced disorder characterized by severe inner and outer restlessness, agitation, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Romain’s parents, Vincent Schmitt and Yoko Motohama, now advocate for truthful information and informed consent so that other families might be spared such a devastating and preventable loss.

The latest episode of MISSD’s "Akathisia Stories" podcast highlights the foundation’s ongoing work and features the story of another teenager who died after developing SSRI-induced akathisia that was misdiagnosed and mistreated.

Last week, France became the first country to add a suicide-risk warning to the hair-loss drug finasteride, acknowledging its link to serious psychiatric side effects.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added "suicidal ideation and behavior" to the finasteride label in 2022, the warning appears only in the Adverse Reactions section and not in the more prominent Warnings and Precautions or boxed-warning categories. MISSD urges the FDA to strengthen its labeling and communication requirements so that prescribers and patients are fully informed of the potential psychiatric and suicide risks.

Recent scientific findings emphasize the urgent need for stronger international action. A newly published paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, titled "Failing Public Health Again? Analytical Review of Depression and Suicidality From Finasteride," highlights decades of regulatory delay despite consistent evidence connecting the drug to depression, self-harm, and suicide—even after discontinuation.

The foundation commends France’s new warning and urges the United States and other nations to act swiftly and transparently in response to the growing body of evidence. While France’s suicide warning represents progress, most patients around the world still lack adequate information about medication-induced suicide risks—both from finasteride and from a wide range of other pharmaceutical products.

About MISSD
The Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin (MISSD) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to honoring lives lost to akathisia and preventing medication-induced deaths through online education, awareness, and advocacy. MISSD provides free resources to help the public and healthcare professionals recognize akathisia and save lives.

An authentic, grassroots organization, MISSD accepts no funding from the pharmaceutical industry.

Wendy Dolin
MISSD
share@missd.co
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Akathisia Stories Podcast: These Stories are Universal

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