Skip to main content
Professor Tony Kendrick

Professor Tony Kendrick

 BSc MD FRCGP FRCPsych FHEA
Professor of Primary Care

Connect with Tony

Email: ark1@soton.ac.uk

Address: Aldermoor Health Centre, Aldermoor Close, Lordswood, SO16 5ST

About

Tony Kendrick recently completed two large trials in the area of depression in primary care. The NIHR HTA PROMDEP trial tested the use of the PHQ-9 questionnaire as a patient reported outcome measure in acute depression, which helps patients understand their depression and contribute more actively to treatment decisions and follow-up consultations with their GP.  The NIHR PGfAR REDUCE programme tested Internet and psychologist telephone support for people wanting to come off long-term antidepressants when appropriate. Both interventions helped improve patients'quality of life and proved cost-effective for dissemination in the NHS. They have been submitted for publication. 

His media appearances include:

Professor Tony Kendrick was interviewed for the Panorama programme The Antidepressant Story, broadcast on 19th June 2023: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001n39z/panorama-the-antidepressant-story

Professor Tony Kendrick discussing antidepressant withdrawal feature on BBC South Today May 2021.

Professor Tony Kendrick was a co-author on a Cochrane review of approaches to discontinuing antidepressants which received the following mainstream UK press attention among many hundreds of articles around the world.
Urgent research needed on how to safely stop using antidepressants - experts – Daily Mail Online, April 2021.
Millions in stress pill habit – The Sun, April 2021.
Urgent need to find safe ways for patients to withdraw from antidepressants, survey finds – The Guardian, April 2021.
Little research on safe withdrawal from antidepressants - The Times, April 2021.

Professor Tony Kendrick contributes to Naked Scientists Neuroscience podcast discussing the REDUCE trial. January 2020.

Faculty Professors win BMA Primary Health Care Book of the Year award. September 2019

Professor Tony Kendrick was interviewed on Radio 4's PM on 6 March by Sarah Vine for a feature on withdrawal of antidepressants. Tony discussed the new NICE guidelines, which are going to include more advice for GPs on slower withdrawal especially for patients who've been on antidepressants for years, and on how to deal with withdrawal symptoms. Tony is a member of the NICE guideline committee updating the Depression guidelines, and leads the £2.4 million NIHR funded REDUCE research programme. Tony features 16 minutes and 17 seconds into the programme. March 2019.

REDUCE study mentioned in The New York Times article, Many people taking antidepressants discover they cannot quit. Long-term use of the medications is surging in the United States, according to an analysis by The Times. One reason: withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult to stop. April 2018.

The New Scientist article, 'People are hacking antidepressant doses to avoid withdrawal', comment by Professor Tony Kendrick. July 2017.

The Times article, Dr Mark Porters writes 'One in ten people is on antidepressants and some need to come off them', he discusses the REDUCE study. July 2017.

Radio 5 live, Professor Tony Kendrick talks (approx 25 minutes in) about the REDUCE study looking at web support. Feb 2017.

An interview between Professor Tony Kendrick and GP broadcaster Dr Mark Porter on the BBC radio 4 programme Inside Health is available to listen to via this link, it starts at 5 minutes in and discusses his research into the rise in long-term antidepressant treatment and the need for support to help people come off unnecessary long-term treatment. (Mar 2016)

Professor Tony Kendrick's SPCR funded CPRD study coverage in Pulse Today. (Aug 2015)

Rates of depression among working aged men are on the rise, read the story here from the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. (May 2015)

Professor Tony Kendrick recently spoke to Pulse for the story GP consultations for depression have risen since financial crisis hit. He said the increase in depression rates explained some - but not all - of the rise in antidepressant use recorded by the Health Survey for England. That data showed GP prescriptions of antidepressants had rocketed - by around 50% - since 2008. The researchers, led by Professor Kendrick, studied GP records of depression before and after the recession, using anonymised data from 142 practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 2003 and 2013. (April 2015)

Prof Tony Kendrick is quoted in an article about alternative treatments for depression following the publication of the ANTLER trial of maintenance antidepressants in the New England Journal of Medicine. October 2021

 

Back
to top