This Mental Health Awareness Month, we are proud to recognize May 5-11, 2024, as Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) Awareness Week to help decrease stigma, improve recognition and increase routine screenings, diagnosis and appropriate treatment of TD. TD is a persistent, involuntary movement disorder that is characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal and repetitive movements of the face, torso, limbs, and fingers or toes.1-4 TD is associated with prolonged use of antipsychotic medication that may be necessary to treat individuals living with mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.3,5,*
There are approximately 600,000 people in the United States living with TD, and approximately 65 percent have not yet been diagnosed.2,8,9 By declaring the first week of May as TD Awareness Week, states around the country are helping to raise awareness regarding:
- The potential physical, social and emotional consequences of TD10
- The signs and symptoms associated with TD
- The importance of speaking with a healthcare provider about the impact of the uncontrollable movements and available treatment options
It is now an important time to acknowledge the one in five U.S. adults living with a mental illness, some of whom are treated with antipsychotic medication and may also have TD.11 Research suggests up to 30 percent of patients who have taken firstgeneration antipsychotics and up to 21 percent of patients who have taken second-generation antipsychotics over a prolonged period of time may develop TD.9,# It’s important that patients who are taking antipsychotic medication be monitored by a healthcare provider for drug-induced movement disorders (DIMDs), such as TD.4,12 Routine screenings for abnormal movements in patients taking antipsychotic medication are essential for detection, proper diagnosis and appropriate management to help improve therapeutic outcomes.12
Thank you for your commitment to raising awareness of TD and supporting the mental health community. Visit MIND-TD.com for helpful information on identification of TD and differentiation from other movement disorders. You can also access the MIND TD® Questionnaire to help facilitate a dialogue about abnormal movements with patients at risk of developing TD and DISCOVER TD®, an interactive digital tool to help learn about and identify TD.