SSRI drugs for depression have been documented to cause suicidal and homicidal ideation, violent acts toward others, and suicide and homicide. SSRI drugs are more likely to trigger suicide, homicide and violent acts in males 16-25; however, the effect is not limited to that age range or gender. Starting, changing dose or type, or stopping SSRIs present the greatest risk of violence toward self or others.
In “The Origin of Disease: The War Within”, Ch. 18, we cited reports that mass shooters from Columbine to the present, and mothers who murdered their children, had high rates of SSRI usage. (See 388-395). We asked if the Parkland shooter was prescribed SSRIs a year before the mass shooting, and then shortly thereafter began to publicly express homicidal ideation. Now we ask if the Indianapolis shooter was prescribed SSRIs a year before the shooting, and then shortly thereafter began to express violent suicidal thoughts (suicide-by-cop). In “The Origin of Disease”, we also reported many mental illnesses have been “associated” or recognized to be caused by toxoplasmosis, including recklessness, depression, bipolar disorder, anger, aggression, rage, and intermittent explosive disorder (IED). (Toxoplasmosis increases testosterone in males.)
Providers should be aware of the risk of SSRIs, and try to identify those at risk for suicide, homicide and violence. Investigators must obtain information on an offenders’ use of SSRIs and prior chronic disease, to define the scope of the problem of SSRIs and chronic disease, in suicide and violence, which can only be done through information gathering and reporting.
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