TV and billboard ads spotlight akathisia, a medication-induced disorder that can lead to suicide
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, July 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — MISSD, the Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin, today announced the recent launch of akathisia awareness ads in Australia, marking the organization’s first television advertising effort. The public health campaign also includes billboard ads and is part of MISSD’s ongoing work to raise awareness of akathisia, a medication-induced disorder that can lead to severe distress, self-harm, violence, and suicide.
The campaign comes as Australia continues to grapple with a significant mental health prescribing burden. Recent reporting shows about 5 million Australians are receiving mental health-related prescriptions, prompting renewed questions from clinicians and former patients about whether some long-term distress may be better addressed through non-medication supports and other therapies.
MISSD’s new public health ads are also meaningful because tomorrow is Prescribed Harm Awareness Day, a global day of remembrance founded by Stephen’s Voice, an Ireland-based charity that established the day to spotlight harms caused by prescribed medications. These harms are often described as iatrogenic, meaning they arise from medical treatment itself rather than from an underlying condition.
“Greater awareness of iatrogenic harm can help improve healthcare outcomes, enhance patient safety, and better support people who experience adverse drug effects,” said Wendy Dolin, founder of MISSD. “Akathisia is just one example of medication-induced harm that is often misdiagnosed and mistreated. Through awareness campaigns and educational resources, including a podcast and two free online akathisia courses, MISSD aims to reduce avoidable harm and save lives.”
Akathisia is marked by intense inner restlessness, severe agitation, pacing, rocking, shifting, and unusual changes in thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It has been associated with a wide range of commonly prescribed medications, including drugs used to treat nausea, infection, asthma, depression, high blood pressure, anxiety, and acne. Management may include reducing, stopping, or changing the causative medication when clinically appropriate and under the supervision of an experienced healthcare professional familiar with akathisia.
MISSD also recently released two new episodes of its Akathisia Stories podcast. One episode features Dolin and MISSD director Jenna Sachman discussing how the foundation has grown over the past 16 years since it was founded. Another episode features Katinka Blackford Newman, author of The Pill That Steals Lives and founder of Antidepressant Risks, a UK-based nonprofit focused on helping people understand the risks of antidepressants.
Antidepressant Risks and A Disorder 4 Everyone will host a Stolen Lives London talk followed by a picnic, bringing together speakers with professional and personal experience to deepen understanding of prescribed harm. Prescribed Harm Awareness Day picnics have also been organized in Australia, France, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States.
Kristina Kaiser
MISSD
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Akathisia Stories with Katinka Blackford Newman
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