Anti-psychotic drugs do not control aggression in patients who have low IQs, even though such drugs have been used to do just that for over sixty years, according to a new study from Great Britain.

The new study is the first double-bind study that compares these drugs with placebos (sugar pills). Researchers divided 86 patients into two groups – one group took anti-psychotic drugs, and the other took placebos. Those who took the sugar pills actually showed less aggression than the ones who took the prescription drugs.

Psychiatrists and other physicians often prescribe drugs like Haldol and Risperdal to control tantrums and other behaviors in people with IQs below 70.

This study appears in the British science journal, The Lancet.

NorthStar Center offers adolescent drug treatment and a structured program to help teens and young adults in recovery.

Labels: aggression, drug_use, treatment_programs