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Several possible studies

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An Uncomfortable Truth: Does the Rise of Antidepressants and SSRIs Fuel Mass Shootings? | Psychreg (opens in a new tab)

psychreg.org · 2021-01-26

Short answerEvidenceSource

Short answer

Several possible studies

Study not confirmed.

Several potential source studies were identified, but no single match could be confirmed. The article's claims remain unverified.

22 candidate papersExplore the search results

These papers were considered as possible sources, but none could be confirmed as the study behind this story.

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NewsLink checks it

Multiple potential source studies identified.

Several studies match details in the article, but none could be confirmed as its source. The claims have not been assessed against a source study.

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3

Search result

Several studies could fit.

Several studies match details in the article, but none could be confirmed as its source. The claims have not been assessed against a source study.

Source paper

Source layer

The 6 papers the story cites

Source study separated from background citations.

The research anchor for the report.

The literature search

22 candidate papers

Studies identified during the search

These papers appeared in the search for the story’s source. None was confirmed as a direct match. Inclusion here does not mean a paper supports or contradicts the story, or that its full text was reviewed.

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Then inspect each claim

Evidence layer

Claim by claim

The article's claims are listed below. Without a confirmed source study, they have not been assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 1 of 8Not checkedThe article says mass shootings and school shootings have increased over the last 30 years, and frames that rise as part of a broader social problem.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedsignificant increase; 103 school gunfire incidents in 2018

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 2 of 8Not checkedThe article argues that mental health problems and prescription drugs, especially SSRIs, are one of the real issues behind mass shootings.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedhigh percentage; many mass shooters

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 3 of 8Not checkedThe article claims there may be an underlying substance that plays a role in violent acts: prescription antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).View evidenceHide evidence

As statedhigh percentage

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 4 of 8Not checkedThe article says a 5,639-patient study in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics found only 38.4% of clinician-diagnosed depression patients met DSM criteria for clinical depression, despite most being prescribed depression medication.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated5,639 patients; 38.4%

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 5 of 8Not checkedThe article states that SSRIs increase violence risk, including aggression, hostility, impulsivity, mania, psychosis, hallucinations, and suicide, and cites FDA black-box warnings and review data to support that claim.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated31 drugs; 11 antidepressants; 10.9 times for fluoxetine; 10.3 times for paroxetine

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 6 of 8Not checkedThe article says a Swedish registry study of more than 850,000 SSRI users found a significant association between SSRI use and violent crime convictions in ages 15 to 24.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedover 850,000 patients

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 7 of 8Not checkedThe article lists multiple mass shooters and other violent offenders whom it says were taking, or had recently taken, SSRIs or related antidepressants, presenting these as examples of a connection between antidepressants and murder.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedmany examples from 1989 to 2016

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Claim 8 of 8Not checkedThe article cites a New England Journal of Medicine study of FDA-registered antidepressant trials, saying many negative trials were unpublished or misleadingly written and that this shows drug-company suppression of unfavorable results.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated74 FDA-registered trials; 38 positive; 36 negative; 22 unpublished; 11 misleadingly written

Not checked

No source study was confirmed for this article. This claim remains unverified, rather than assessed as supported or unsupported.

Finally, the search trail

Method layer

Study not confirmed.

The search results are available for you to inspect. Without a confirmed source study, they cannot establish whether the story’s claims are supported or contradicted.

Search results

Candidate papers, not confirmed sources.

PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 21 candidate papers

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