Every day, people living across Pennsylvania seek treatment for bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and gastrointestinal disorders. Treatment may include using medications that work as dopamine receptor blocking agents, including antipsychotics. For many, ongoing treatment with these medications is necessary. For some, prolonged use can lead to Tardive Dyskinesia (TD).
 
TD is an involuntary movement disorder caused by medications that help control dopamine, such as antipsychotics prescribed to treat people living with mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. TD is a persistent, irreversible, and potentially disabling neurological condition characterized by uncontrollable repetitive movements of the face, torso, limbs, or extremities. Additionally, for people living with TD, even mild symptoms can be stigmatizing and impair physical, social, and emotional well-being.
 
While TD is treatable if a patient receives proper, timely screening and diagnosis, the condition remains widely unknown or misunderstood due to a lack of public awareness and too few resources available to patients, providers, and caregivers. Approximately 60% of the estimated 800,000 Americans living with TD are currently undiagnosed. To help ensure that people living with TD receive the care they need, states across the country have recognized TD Awareness Week, formally acknowledging the importance of TD awareness, education, and screenings.
 
Recent national efforts are showing the way towards better care for people living with TD. In December 2020, the American Psychiatric Association published its updated treatment guidelines for schizophrenia, which include recommendations for periodic screenings for patients who are treated with antipsychotic medication and are at risk of developing TD.
 
In the near future, I will introduce legislation to recognize May 3 through May 9, 2026, as “Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week” because seeking treatment requires all of us to ensure patients receive timely information, screening, and diagnosis for the medications they use. By building a deeper understanding of these medications, we will help to ensure people get the care they need and deserve. 
 
Please consider joining me in sponsoring this important legislation.