One in six patients who stop taking antidepressants experience withdrawal symptoms, according to German psychiatrists who say the incidence rate is lower than previous estimates.

Their meta-analysis found that while a third of patients reported at least one symptom after stopping treatment — such as dizziness, nausea or insomnia — about half could be attributed to non-specific or ‘nocebo’ effects.

“Our findings … should also provide reassurance that rates of discontinuation symptoms are not as high as some previous single studies and reviews have suggested,” said lead author Dr Jonathan Henssler, from Berlin’s Charité University Hospital.

Dr Henssler’s team reviewed 79 studies assessing the incidence of antidepressant withdrawal or discontinuation symptoms among 21,000 patients (mean age 45), including 4400 who discontinued from placebo.