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Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: Rates of antidepressant prescribing have been increasing.Antidepressants are not effective for many people. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: Participants described how in order to receive help they had to engage with a medical pathway in which their experiences were constructed as arising from a biochemical deficit.Antidepressant prescribing was identified as being the only option available and was associated with stigma. What are the implications for practice?: Mental health nurses have a role to play in providing treatment options for those experiencing depression.Mental health nurses need to provide evidence‐based information about antidepressants support those experiencing depression to make informed choices. Introduction: There are increased prescribing rates of antidepressants associated with an increase in the diagnosis of depression. However, antidepressants are not effective for many people. There is a gap in the existing literature for a synthesis of the experiences of those with lived experience of antidepressant use to better understand their use and impact given their ubiquitous use in mental health, primary care and other secondary and tertiary care settings. Mental health nurses play direct or indirect roles in both advocating for antidepressant use and monitoring adherence. Aims: To identify how people prescribed antidepressants describe their experiences of the medication including its discontinuation? Method: A meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies examining patients' experiences of antidepressant medication. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library databases were searched in May 2021. One reviewer screened titles and abstracts. Two reviewers independently reviewed the retrieved papers for eligibility and data extraction. The data synthesis was conducted using thematic analysis. Two reviewers independently conducted quality appraisals. Results: Twenty‐seven studies with a total of 2937 participants were identified for inclusion in this review. Four themes were identified across the studies: the only option available; stigma associated with 'biochemical deficit' not myself and the vicious cycle. Implications for practice: Those seeking treatment for depression need to be provided with treatment options and evidence‐based information about anti‐depressants to provide them with the opportunity to make informed choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: Dr Murdoch reports he is a member of the panel for the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s project on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases. Mr McRae reports he is a member of the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group, and a member of the Infection Prevention Advisory Group for ACC. Ms Mccall reports she is a member of the Canterbury District Health Board Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Dr Maze reports he is a member of the Canterbury District Health Board Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Ms Lim reports that she is a member of the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group and Southern District Health Board Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Miss Li reports that she is a member of the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group and a member of the Capital and Coast District Health Board Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Dr Kelly reports he is Chair of the National Infection Prevention and Control Expert Group, Ministry of Health. Mr Issa reports he is a member of the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group; a member of the Waikato District Health Board, Antimicrobial Steering Group; coordinator on the New Zealand Hospital Pharmacists’ Association – Infectious Disease/Antimicrobial Stewardship Special Interest Network; a member of the New Zealand Hospital Pharmacists’ Association; and a member of Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand. Dr Howard reports involvement in writing antimicrobial guidelines at Waikato District Health Board. Mrs Hardie reports she is a member of the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group and member of the Waitematā District Health Board Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Dr Gardiner reports that she is co-lead for the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group; a member of the panel for the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s project on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases; a member of the Steering Group for the ACC scoping report on developing national antimicrobial guidance for NZ; and Secretary of the Canterbury Antimicrobial Stewardship Strategic Group and Secretary of the CDHB Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Mr Duffy reports that he is co-lead for the New Zealand Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group; a member of the Ministry of Health AMR Co-ordination (HARC) Group; a member of the Steering Group for the ACC scoping report on developing national antimicrobial guidance for NZ; a member of the PTAC Anti-infective sub-committee (PHARMAC); and a member of Auckland DHB Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Ms du Plessis reports that she is Lead for the Counties-Manukau Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and Chair for the Counties-Manukau Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Dr Chambers reports being Deputy Chair of Canterbury District Health Board Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee; a member of the reference group for the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s project on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases; and a member of PTAC Anti-infective sub-committee (PHARMAC). Dr Campbell reports that she is the Pharmaceutical Society of NZ representative on the NZ Antimicrobial Stewardship/Infection Pharmacist Expert Group; a member of the Ministry of Health Antimicrobial Resistance Coordination Group representing the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand; and a member of the Reference Group for the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s project on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases. Dr Bupha-Intr reports that she is a member of the Capital and Coast DHB Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Dr Briggs reports that he is a member of the PTAC Anti-Infective Subcommittee (PHARMAC). Dr Birch reports being on the Canterbury District Health Board Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. Dr Betty reports having provided advice to the panel for the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s project on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases, and being Medical Director of the Royal NZ College of General Practice. Dr Batlle-Perales reports being a member of the Antimicrobial Steering Group at Waikato Hospital. Brendan Arnold is the clinical lead for Antimicrobial Stewardship at Southern District Health Board.