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 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
Research
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Current PhD Students
External roles and responsibilities
Biography
Professor Tony Kendrick is Professor of Primary Care within Medicine at the University of Southampton.
His recent research tested techniques for primary care practitioners to use to (i) assess the needs of people with depressive symptoms, so that they can quickly target treatments to those who most need them, and (ii) help people come off long-term antidepressants when appropriate, with Internet and psychologist support. Both proved effective in improving patients' quality of life at low cost.. They have been submitted for publication.
His research over 30 years has addressed the management of common and costly mental health problems in primary care, and has been influential in changing the management of schizophrenia and depression in primary care.
He has over 250 publications including more than 160 peer-reviewed articles, six books, 32 book chapters, and 45 other publications. He was awarded his MD at St George’s Hospital Medical School in 1996, writing his doctoral thesis on a randomised controlled trial of teaching general practitioners to carry out structured assessments of their long-term mentally ill patients, funded by a four year half time Mental Health Foundation research training fellowship.
He then moved to Southampton and carried out a number of multicentre randomised controlled trials, as well as observational and qualitative studies, on treatments and health service developments in primary care, mainly for depression and anxiety, but also for eating disorders, bereavement, carers’ health, and multimorbidity, through his PhD students’ work.
His work has had significant impact on clinical practice through its support for the development of NICE guidelines on depression and performance indicators in the UK GP contract quality and outcomes framework (QOF), which improved the GP assessment of psychosis and depression.
He has an international reputation in research having collaborated directly with colleagues in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, and the Netherlands. He has given invited plenary presentations at conferences organised by the World Organisation of Family Doctors, World Psychiatry Association, and the North American Primary Care Research Group.
He was elected to Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners in 1997 and to Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2001, in recognition of his research into primary care mental health. He was awarded the RCGP President’s Medal for his research in 2009. He has also received three first prizes for books on primary care from the BMA.
Prizes
- Primary Care Mental Health (2010)
- Primary Care Mental Health 2nd ed (2020)
- Oxford Handbook of General Practice (2006)
- President's Medal (2009)