Oliver North ’ s Ritalin Myth

The incoming NRA President, Oliver North, recently offered his theory for the spate of school shootings in this country, blaming “a culture of violence“ and the drug methylphenidate (Ritalin). “If you look at what has happened to the young people, many of these young boys have been on Ritalin since they were in kindergarten,” North said. 1 As a psychiatrist, I partly agree with North: there are cultural factors in the U.S. that may increase the risk for aggression or violence — including but not limited to bullying, gangs, and substances of abuse. But Col. North is way off base in blaming Ritalin for school shootings. This notion is part of a larger mythology that attributes mass shootings to psychiatric medications of various sorts, including antidepressants. But what is the evidence for such claims? First off, there is very little evidence that Ritalin and related medications for ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) cause violent behavior, when properly prescribed and monitored. On the contrary, studies going back to the 1990s generally find that Ritalin-type medications actually reduce aggressiveness in children with ADHD. (It is important to note that aggression is not one of the “core” features of ADHD, according to current diagnostic criteria; and when aggression occurs, it is usually due to some co-occurring disorder). Indeed, a 1990 study by Dr. Kenneth Gadow and colleagues stated, “One of the least documented ‘known’ effect...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: ADHD and ADD Anger Children and Teens Disorders Medications Mental Health and Wellness Psychiatry Stimulants Treatment Violence and Aggression Adderall Child Development drug myths mass shooting Methylphenidate myths about AD Source Type: blogs