The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is urging nationwide adoption of mandatory medical testing to rule out physical conditions that mimic psychiatric symptoms, a move that could prevent unnecessary diagnoses and the prescription of mind-altering drugs. The call follows recent state and federal actions that underscore the importance of thorough medical evaluation before psychiatric treatment.
In July 2026, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo issued a guidance statement recommending against the use of psychotropic drugs in children aged 5–17 for mental health conditions. The guidance emphasizes completing a full physical examination, including laboratory tests for nutritional, endocrine and blood disorders, heavy metals, and mold exposure, before any psychotropic drug is considered. It also advises that discontinuation of these drugs should be gradual, not abrupt.
This aligns with a national initiative led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who in May 2026 recommended a plan to deprescribe antidepressants and curb psychiatric drug prescribing, particularly in children. The plan prioritizes informed consent, prevention, transparency, holistic care, and safe drug withdrawal.
The consequences of skipping physical testing can be catastrophic. CCHR cites cases where patients endured years of psychiatric treatment for symptoms that were later traced to untreated physical conditions. One patient received five years of psychiatric care for headaches and dizziness before a brain tumor was discovered. In 2025, Sarah-Jane Doherty, a 24-year-old from the UK, was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed an antipsychotic that worsened her condition. A CT scan and MRI later revealed a brain tumor requiring surgery.
According to CCHR, psychiatrists have a history of failing to properly diagnose medical conditions. In 1982, CCHR helped establish a California pilot project that provided medical evaluations for patients admitted to public psychiatric hospitals. The findings, published in 1989, showed that many patients had undiagnosed physical diseases, and 80% of those screened had neurologic abnormalities, many induced by the psychotropic drugs themselves. The California Mental Health Medical Evaluation Field Manual states that mental health professionals “have a professional and a legal obligation to recognize the presence of physical disease in their patients.”
The issue of diagnostic precision is also highlighted by the Cato Institute, which notes that psychiatric diagnoses rely on subjective phenomena rather than biomarkers, leading to less precise diagnoses over time. The DSM-IV-TR itself acknowledges that symptoms of major depressive disorder can be identical to those of general medical conditions, such as weight loss in untreated diabetes or fatigue in cancer.
Dr. Mary Ann Block, DO, emphasizes the importance of thorough medical testing: “Everyone deserves to have a physician who will take a thorough history, do a complete physical exam, and look for the true underlying medical cause of a person's symptoms. No one should accept a doctor who just listens to your chief complaint and hands you a prescription.”
CCHR International has released a white paper titled Antidepressants: A Public Health Catastrophe, detailing evidence of harm and the need for reform. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, states, “Workable alternatives to psychiatric drugging exist and must be prioritized. The evidence from Florida's guidance, the California pilot studies, and physicians shows that thorough medical evaluation routinely uncovers treatable physical causes and ends the need for mind-altering drugs. The federal deprescribing initiative, with its emphasis on consent, prevention, and holistic care, offers a critical opportunity to embed mandatory medical testing as standard practice nationwide.”
With over 76 million Americans taking psychiatric drugs, including 6.1 million children, the push for mandatory testing could have far-reaching implications for patient safety and public health. CCHR concludes that protecting patients from unnecessary drug exposure begins with ruling out real, treatable medical disease.
