As prosecutors examine the background of the man accused in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, questions about psychiatric medications are resurfacing. On Chicago’s Morning Answer, Dan Proft spoke with writer Charles Cornish-Dale, who has been outspoken about the possible connection between antidepressant use and acts of mass violence.
Cornish-Dale pointed to longstanding doubts about the medical basis for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). While these drugs were licensed in the late 1980s on the premise that depression stems from a serotonin imbalance, he noted that decades of research have failed to prove that theory. “The evidence that they actually work is pretty thin,” Cornish-Dale said, arguing that lifestyle interventions such as exercise and diet often show greater benefit than medication.
The debate intensified after the Columbine massacre in 1999, when it was revealed that shooter Eric Harris was taking Luvox, a powerful SSRI. Cornish-Dale cited population-level studies that link antidepressant use to violent behavior, though he acknowledged the issue is complex and likely involves multiple contributing factors. He emphasized the need for thorough toxicology screenings of mass shooters, a step Tennessee has already mandated, to better understand the potential role of psychiatric drugs.
Cornish-Dale also raised concerns about America’s broader dependence on pharmaceuticals, from statins to anti-anxiety medications, and criticized the close relationship between regulators and the drug industry. He called for independent, long-term studies—particularly of children and adolescents prescribed psychiatric medications—to assess developmental effects. He warned that conflicts of interest at the FDA, combined with billions in profits at stake, have hindered meaningful reform.
While stressing that antidepressants do not automatically make individuals violent, Cornish-Dale argued that ignoring possible links is a mistake. “If you interfere with brain chemistry in a fundamental way,” he said, “you should expect there to be developmental changes.”
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