About the Antidepressant Withdrawal and Deprescribing Panel Event [5.45-6.45pm]:

As a lead-in to the LELAN Annual General Meeting (AGM) we will be holding an Antidepressant Withdrawal and Deprescribing Panel event. This session will explore information about and lived experiences of people who have experienced negative side effects due to long-term antidepressant (and other psychiatric medication) use and withdrawal.

This is an extension of a project that LELAN has been working on throughout 2024. Our goals are to foster an open dialogue about the challenges surrounding antidepressant prescribing, deprescribing and withdrawal in Australia, and to advocate for vital improvements to information, support and services for those seeking to reduce or stop antidepressant use.

Ellie Hodges, LELAN CE and Founder, will provide an overview of previous work to contextualise the learnings and the co-created advocacy platform that resulted.

Panel members listed below will provide a brief introduction to their work and then be available to answer questions from the MC and audience.

Tim Shagovick, a person with lived experience of antidepressant withdrawal.
- Tim will be sharing his story of being prescribed and deprescribed antidepressant medications.
Taimi Allan Mental Health Commissioner of South Australia.

Taimi is recognised as a global thought-leader in Mental Health Innovation, Lived Experience Leadership and e-Mental Health. She has previously provided advocacy around antidepressant withdrawal and deprescribing practices in New Zealand.

Professor Jon Jureidini, Director of the Critical & Ethical Mental Health research group at the University of Adelaide.
- Jon is a child psychiatrist who is also trained in philosophy, psychotherapy and critical appraisal. He has been leading research in Australia on the experiences of people who take antidepressant medication.
Dr Mark Horowitz, co-author of the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines.
- Mark is a training psychiatrist who commenced training in Australia and is now working in London as a Clinical Research Fellow in the NHS and an Honorary Research Fellow at UCL. Mark has in own lived experience on antidepressant withdrawal.

The event will be MC'ed by Danni Bament, LELAN Board Chair.

About the LELAN Annual General Meeting (AGM) [6.55-7.25pm]:

The AGM will provide an opportunity for the LELAN team and Board to showcase work from the 23/24 financial year and launch the 2024 Annual Report.

This year we will also be releasing LELAN's new Strategic Plan 2025-2030 that will then be available on our website and shared with community members and partners.

The AGM will conclude with the following official order of business:

Confirmation of minutes of Annual General Meeting held in November 2023.
Consideration of the accounts and reports of the Board.
The election of Board members.
Any other business requiring consideration by the association in general meeting.