A Mini Essay On Antidepressants And Violence

Interestingly, antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil have been linked to violent behavior in users. Several studies have verified a connection between antidepressant medication and violent behavior in youth. One involving hamsters found that SSRI's in low doses bind fluoxetine to serotonin through aggression producing receptors. These receptors can produce violent thoughts and behavior when activated.

Also notable in the study is evidence that adults may actually experience violent-inhibiting behavior from taking antidepressants. This is due to the fact that as fluoxetine levels increase, the fluoxetine binds to serotonin through aggression-inhibiting receptors. And since adults are prescribed significantly higher doses then children, the fluoxetine is bound through the violent-inhibiting receptors causing them to experience what could be called "peaceful" behavior.

Strangely enough, rumors through various forms of media have been circulating about how antidepressant medication has played a role in what has apparently become an "epidemic" of shootings and mass murder. One website, SSRI Stories, has an extensive list of cases where violent acts have been committed by individuals on antidepressant medication. The creators of the site, as well as many other activists, seem certain that medication is the cause of violent crime.

These activists fail to take into account the mass desensitization thats been occurring through the popularization of television and movies. According to the book, Big World, Small Screen: The Role of Television in American Society, by the time someone reaches the age of 18 they have seen 8,000 murders and approximately 100,000 acts of violence. With so many people becoming desensitized to violent behavior, it is not surprising that more people have acted out.

Also, these activists have insufficient data to support their claims. Usually, they use lists and not percentage-based data in order to support their arguments. In other words, they do not shown that people on antidepressants have higher rates of homicide than people who are not on antidepressants. This is a serious methodological failure on their part, since you cannot make a conclusion simply based on a list of cases with related events without first proving the events are dependent.

Also notable is that the use of antidepressants has increased significantly since they were first popularized in the 80's, yet violent crime rates have dropped by 60% over the past 25 years. Obviously, if antidepressants are having an effect on violent crime, then it is most likely that their effects are insignificant. Some activists may claim that while crime rates have gone down, it is still possible for crimes induced by antidepressants to go up. However, this is unlikely.

Lastly, it's also important to note that antidepressants are saving the lives of many people already suffering from depression. A recent study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed that after antidepressant treatment, suicide rates drop by at least 50 percent. So even if there were a small number of people who did die from "massacre" shootings caused by antidepressants, many more lives are saved because of emotional assistance from the medication.

As a consequence, antidepressants are actually reducing violence and, therefore, it is not the antidepressants that are the cause of violent crime. Rather, it is individuals who choose to harm innocent people. If anything can be said about antidepressants, it's that they are mitigating the symptoms of depression and preventing what could be a epidemic of suicide.