An estimated 12% of the decrease in crime since the early 1990s was due to psychiatric drugs that became newly available during that time, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Mental illness is a known risk factor for criminal behavior as well as for victimization, but the study was the first to quantify the impact of treatment on crime. The researchers found that crime dropped more quickly in the states where the new classes of drugs were distributed more widely.
We examine limited international data, as well as more detailed American data to assess the relationship between crime rates and rates of prescriptions of the main categories of psychotropic drugs, while controlling for other factors which may explain trends in crime rates. The most-effective drugs at reducing crime were stimulants to treat ADHD and so-called "newer generation antidepressants," both of which appeared to reduce violent crime by 0.1% for every 1% increase in prescriptions.
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