Over 76 million Americans, including 6.1 million children, are prescribed psychiatric drugs despite rising evidence of harm, from emotional numbness to violence, suicide, and death. CCHR renews calls for a move toward genuine prevention over psychotropic drug dependency.
By CCHR International
The Mental Health Industry Watchdog
March 27, 2026
On March 24, National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day spotlighted a major preventable public health crisis: adverse drug events (ADEs)—injuries, side effects, and errors caused by medication use, including psychiatric drugs—are now estimated to cause more than 250,000 deaths each year in the United States. This would make ADEs the third leading cause of death in the country, ahead of stroke and respiratory disease. However, these deaths are not shown as a single category in the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rankings, largely because ADEs are not coded as one unified cause. Established in 2021 by the American Society of Pharmacovigilance (ASP), the awareness day aims to highlight this issue and calls for urgent national action to prevent it.[1]
For more than five decades, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) has maintained a public awareness campaign about psychotropic drug risks. In 2013, CCHR launched a Psychiatric Drugs Side Effects online database to help consumers and families access information about adverse reactions and withdrawal effects. The organization also regularly files Freedom of Information Act requests for state-level psychiatric prescription data under Medicaid.
CCHR has purchased IQVia Total Patient Tracker data for accurate consumption reporting and continues to campaign for stronger FDA Medication Guides (MedGuides)—fact sheets that provide essential safety information in plain language, listing the most serious side effects. Pharmacists are currently required to distribute these when dispensing certain prescriptions, but CCHR is calling for this requirement to be expanded to prescribing doctors, with patients required to sign an acknowledgment of receipt as part of true informed consent.
A June 2021 study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence revealed that deaths in which psychotropic drugs played a contributing—but not underlying—role have risen dramatically since 1999. Analyzing U.S. mortality data from 1999 to 2019, researchers identified 51,446 psychotropic-drug-implicated deaths, divided into medical deaths (33,885) from natural causes where the drugs contributed as a factor, and external deaths (17,561) from accidents or injuries often linked to impairment.[2]
The annual rate of medical psychotropic-drug-implicated deaths increased 2.5-fold (from 0.31 to 0.78 per 100,000), while external deaths rose fivefold (from 0.12 to 0.58 per 100,000). The combined rate more than tripled, from 0.40 to 1.37 per 100,000. These implicated deaths—not counted in standard overdose statistics—add approximately 7.9% to the total when combined with the 649,697 psychotropic drug overdoses recorded in the same period. Increases include psychostimulants and benzodiazepines, which often receive less attention than opioids.[3]
The FDA’s MedWatch system encourages reporting of adverse events, which can lead to labeling changes, Black Box Warnings, or other protections. However, a 2006 systematic review found that as many as 94% of adverse drug reactions go unreported, and more recent research continues to identify underreporting as a major limitation of these systems, delaying the identification of safety signals and accurate risk assessment.[4]
Compounding the crisis, national mortality data highlight the dangers of specific drug classes often used in combination. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths increased approximately 7.6-fold from 1999 to 2024. Commenting on this, Canadian researchers, including from the University of British Columbia, noted there were 50% more deaths annually from psychiatric medicines than from heroin.[5]
The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse reported drug overdose deaths involving antidepressants steadily rose from 1,749 in 1999 to 5,863 in 2022 and remained steady in 2023 with 5,783 deaths.[6] In the UK, a review of nearly 8,000 coroners’ inquests in which antidepressants were mentioned found 2,718 deaths by hanging, 933 involving overdose, and 979 suicides, concluding that antidepressants are “ineffective for many people.”[7]
IQVia 2020 data reveals that 76,940,157 Americans were taking prescription psychotropic drugs, including 6.1 million aged 0–17, of whom 418,425 were aged five or younger.
Antidepressants were used by 45,204,771 people of all ages, including 2,154,118 aged 0–17 and 35,216 aged 0–5. Side effects include suicidality, aggression, psychosis, cardiac arrhythmias, and serotonin syndrome—a potentially life-threatening condition involving muscle rigidity, fever, seizures, irregular heartbeat, and organ failure. They are also linked to sexual dysfunction, including persistent post-SSRI sexual dysfunction.[8] Antidepressant-induced emotional blunting affects an estimated 40–60% of individuals taking SSRIs and SNRIs, leaving many feeling “numb,” “flattened,” “blocked,” or detached from their own lives.[9]
Withdrawal affects approximately 56% of users and is often mistaken for relapse.[10] Symptoms can include “brain zaps,” cognitive impairment, anxiety, irritability, emotional blunting, and akathisia — a severe restlessness linked to potential violence.[11]
Case: On January 22, 2017, 14-year-old Naika Venant hanged herself on Facebook Live just 45 days after her Zoloft dose was doubled. A psychologist had previously warned against medicating the then 12-year-old, noting the drug could cause depression as a side effect. However, records showed repeated increases in ADHD drugs Adderall and Vyvanse, and the addition of Zoloft before her death.[12]
Antipsychotics were prescribed to 11,154,803 people of all ages, including 829,372 aged 0–17 and 30,632 aged 0–5. These drugs carry serious and often irreversible risks, including metabolic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular complications, hormonal and sexual dysfunction, agitation, aggression, emotional instability, social withdrawal, suicidal ideation, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (which can also occur during withdrawal).[13]
Severe long-term effects include tardive dyskinesia (TD), an involuntary movement disorder affecting 20–50% of long-term users, and tardive psychosis.[14] In 2016, the FDA issued a Drug Safety Communication warning for aripiprazole (Abilify and generics) regarding uncontrollable urges to gamble, binge eat, shop, or have sex, and required updates to the drug’s labeling to include these risks.[15] Withdrawal effects include: nausea, tremors, anxiety, agitation, irritability, aggression, sleep disturbances, and decreased concentration.[16]
Case: On April 7, 2025, 54-year-old Navy veteran Mark Miller, a retired Special Forces sniper who served in the U.S. Navy for 15 years, died by self-inflicted gunshot wound outside the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio. Prescribed Seroquel on April 1 after a brief visit, he texted his father: “How nice – did not even listen to my story – just like a robot that hands out poison to every soldier.” His father blamed the VA and the psychiatrist for prioritizing medication over care.[17]
ADHD/Stimulant Drugs were used by 9,585,203 people of all ages, including 3,155,441 aged 0–17 and 58,091 aged 0–5. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) has a mode of action similar to amphetamine and cocaine.[18]Side effects include addiction, new-onset manic symptoms, hallucinations, delusional thinking, aggression, hostility, suicidal thoughts, behavioral dysregulation, and potential for misuse, abuse, and dependence.[19] Adolescents may experience emotional blunting, reduced spontaneity, and diminished motivation.[20] Homicidal ideation has been reported with atomoxetine (Strattera), and 2025 safety updates—including Australian product information and German regulatory communications—added warnings about homicidal thoughts/ideation.[21] Withdrawal effects include depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, agitation, psychomotor slowing, vivid dreams, and increased suicide risk.[22]
Cases: Ten-year-old Harry Hucknall, prescribed Ritalin and Prozac for ADHD, kissed his family goodnight before hanging himself with a belt. An inquest revealed higher-than-adult drug levels in his system.[23]
Fourteen-year-old Matthew Smith, prescribed Ritalin for 10 years for “active behavior,” died of a heart attack. The medical examiner attributed it to long-term Ritalin use, causing constriction of the heart blood vessels.[24]
Anti-anxiety Drugs (including Sedatives and Benzodiazepines) were taken by 31,229,150 people of all ages, including 1,153,351 aged 0–17 and 233,125 aged 0–5. Benzodiazepines should not be taken for more than four weeks due to the risk of rapid dependence.[25] They are associated with serious neurological and behavioral side effects, including memory impairment, confusion and disorientation, disinhibition, and suicidal ideation. Paradoxical reactions—agitation, hostility, aggression, or hallucinations—may occur.[26] Withdrawal can begin after as little as 3–6 weeks and includes intense anxiety, perceptual disturbances, depersonalization, paranoia, irritability, and aggression. Symptoms can last weeks, months, or years.[27]
Case: Rock icon Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) was prescribed the benzodiazepine Klonopin for cocaine withdrawal. She recalled that if she didn’t take it, “my hands started to shake. I felt like I had a neurological disease or Parkinson’s.”[28] “The only thing I’d change is walking into the office of that psychiatrist who prescribed me Klonopin. That ruined my life for eight years.” It took her 47 days in rehab to get off the prescription drug, which was harder than kicking cocaine.[29]
Immediate reforms are needed to protect vulnerable populations, especially children, from preventable harm. Lives depend on moving from psychotropic pills to genuine prevention and away from psychotropic drug dependency.
[1] “Predicting Adverse Drug Event Prevalence: A Data-Driven Approach,” American Society of Pharmacovigilance (ASP), 24 Mar. 2025, https://stopadr.org/blog/predicting-adverse-drug-event-prevalence-a-data-driven-approach; “’Working Together, We Will Stop the 4th Leading Cause of Death in the United States’ – American Society of Pharmacovigilance (ASP) Establishes March 24 as National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day, Launches Awareness Campaign,” PR Newswire, 24 Mar. 2021, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/working-together-we-will-stop-the-4th-leading-cause-of-death-in-the-united-states–american-society-of-pharmacovigilance-asp-establishes-march-24-as-national-adverse-drug-event-awareness-day-launches-awareness-campaign-301254429.html
[2] Mike Vuolo, et al., “Trends in Psychotropic-Drug-Implicated Mortality: Psychotropic Drugs, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 24 Jun. 2021, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8355085/
[3] Mike Vuolo, et al., “Trends in Psychotropic-Drug-Implicated Mortality: Psychotropic Drugs, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 24 Jun. 2021, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8355085/
[4] Hazell L, Shakir SA, “Under-reporting of adverse drug reactions: a systematic review,” Drug Saf. 2006;29(5):385-96, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16689555/; García-Abeijon P, et al., “Factors Associated with Underreporting of Adverse Drug Reactions by Health Care Professionals: A Systematic Review Update,” Drug Saf. 2023 Jul;46(7):625-636, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37277678/
[5] CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death database (1999, 2024), queried by year using ICD-10 code T42.4 (Benzodiazepines) and restricted to overdose deaths (X40–X44, X60–X64, Y10–Y14), https://wonder.cdc.gov/
[6] NIDA, “Drug Overdose Deaths: Facts and Figures,” “U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Antidepressants, 1999-2023,” https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates#Fig10
[7] https://www.cchrint.org/2024/03/01/overdosing-americas-youth-dangerous-trend-in-antidepressant-prescribing/; John Read, Ph.D., “Antidepressants and Suicide: 7,829 Inquests in England and Wales, 2003–2020,” Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 2023, Vol. 25, Issue 1, DOI: 10.1891/EHPP-2022-0015, https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrehpp/25/1/8
[8] https://www.cchrint.org/2026/01/09/mounting-evidence-of-persistent-sexual-dysfunction-from-antidepressants-demands-fda-action/
[9] Sebastián Malleza, M.D. “Antidepressant-Induced Emotional Blunting: Diagnosis, Mechanisms and Management,” Psychopharmacology Institute, 29 Aug. 2025, https://psychopharmacologyinstitute.com/publication/antidepressant-induced-emotional-blunting-diagnosis-mechanisms-and-management-2/
[10] https://www.cchrint.org/2026/02/16/decades-of-warnings-persistent-inaction/; James Davies, John Read, “A systematic review into the incidence, severity and duration of antidepressant withdrawal effects: Are guidelines evidence-based?” Addictive Behaviors, Vol 97, 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460318308347
[11] A Midwestern Doctor, “The Truth About SSRI Antidepressants: What Everyone Needs to Know About Antidepressants,” The Forgotten Side of Medicine, 5 Feb. 2026, https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-truth-about-ssri-antidepressants?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=748806&post_id=184750716&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=18l5a7&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
[12] https://www.cchrint.org/2017/04/10/naika-venants-suicide-prompts-calls-for-protections-antidepressant-use/; Carol Marbin Miller, David J. Neal and Alex Harri, “Girl in Facebook Live hanging was prescribed drug with suicide warning,” Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2017, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article140244853.html
[13] https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/antipsychotics/side-effects/
[14] https://www.cchrint.org/2026/02/16/decades-of-warnings-persistent-inaction/; Elyse M. Cornett, PhD, “Medication-Induced Tardive Dyskinesia: A Review and Update,” The Ochsner Journal, Summer 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5472076/; https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/antipsychotics/side-effects/
[15] “FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA warns about new impulse-control problems associated with mental health drug aripiprazole (Abilify, Abilify Maintena, Aristada),” 3 May 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20251214114626/https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-fda-warns-about-new-impulse-control-problems-associated-mental-health
[16] John Read, “The experiences of 585 people when they tried to withdraw from antipsychotic drugs,” Addictive Behaviors Reports, Vol. 15, June 2022, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853222000165?via%3Dihub
[17] https://www.cchrint.org/2025/10/09/veterans-betrayed-psychiatric-programs-fuel-suicide-violence/ “Texas lawmakers push for a boost in mental health services after San Antonio veteran’s death,” San Antonio Express-News, 19 May 2025, https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/texas-veterans-legislation-suicide-20269902.php; “‘Dismantle the system’: Father of U.S. Navy veteran who died by suicide calls for mental health reform,” KSAT.com, 15 Apr. 2015. https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/04/16/dismantle-the-system-father-of-us-navy-veteran-who-died-by-suicide-calls-for-mental-health-reform
[18] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35970252/; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10403500/;
[19] https://www.cchrint.org/2026/02/16/decades-of-warnings-persistent-inaction/; “Methylphenidate (A Background Paper),” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Oct. 1995, http://www.ritalindeath.com/Methylphenidate.htm; https://www.fda.gov/safety/medical-product-safety-information/fda-updating-warnings-improve-safe-use-prescription-stimulants-used-treat-adhd-and-other-conditions; “Concerta (methylphenidate HCl),” Drug Label, FDA, https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/021121s049lbl.pdf; https://www.drugs.com/ritalin.html
[20] Andrzej Silczuk, et al., “Current insights into the safety and adverse effects of methylphenidate in children, adolescents, and adults – narrative review,” Pharmacol Rep, 22 July 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12443935/
[21] https://www.cchrint.org/2025/07/18/regulators-warn-adhd-drug-can-trigger-homicidal-thoughts-parents-and-consumers-need-to-be-informed/; Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration “Product Information safety updates – April 2025,” 22 May 2025, https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-updates/product-information-safety-updates-april-2025-0; AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION APO-ATOMOXETINE (ATOMOXETINE HYDROCHLORIDE) CAPSULES; “Atomoxetine: New warnings about serotonin syndrome and homicidal thoughts,” Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, 7 Feb. 2025, https://www.bfarm.de/SharedDocs/Risikoinformationen/Pharmakovigilanz/EN/RI/2025/RI-atomoxetin.html; AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION APO-ATOMOXETINE (ATOMOXETINE HYDROCHLORIDE) CAPSULES
[22] https://www.cchrint.org/2022/03/21/adhd-marketing-brands-children-to-hook-them-on-psychostimulants/; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R), (American Psychiatric Association, Washington, D.C., 1987), p. 136
[23] Sue Reid, “Child victims of the chemical cosh: Boy who killed himself after taking Ritalin,” Daily Mail, 13 Jun. 2011, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2002856/Harry-Hucknall-10-killed-taking-Ritalin.html#ixzz1P9no6RQG
[24] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/09/25/3-million-children-at-risk-for-adhd-drugs-adverse-effects/; “Michigan Medical Examiner Blames Ritalin For Death of Teenager,” CNN, 17 April 2000, http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0004/17/wt.08.html
[25] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/08/30/mental-health-watchdog-highlights-global-benzodiazepine-risks/; Peter Walker, “Review of Valium prescriptions due to long-term cases,” BBC, 23 Aug. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66589042
[26] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/08/30/mental-health-watchdog-highlights-global-benzodiazepine-risks/; Ativan Product Information, FDA, https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/017794s044lbl.pdf; “The benefits and risks of benzodiazepines,” Medical News Today,
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262809#side-effects; “Benzodiazepines and disinhibition: a review,” Cambridge University Press, 2 Jan. 2018, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychiatric-bulletin/article/benzodiazepines-and-disinhibition-a-review/421AF197362B55EDF004700452BF3BC6
[27] C. Heather Ashton, DM, FRCP, “Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw,” Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2002, http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm; https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/benzo-withdrawal
[28]“Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac on her Pill Addiction,” Newsweek, 1 May 2012, http://www.newsweek.com/2011/05/01/my-favorite-mistake-stevie-nicks.html
[29] https://www.cchrint.org/2017/06/08/chris-cornell-heath-ledger-and-robin-williams-famous-drug-death-tragedies-highlight-risks-of-prescribed-psychotropic-drugs/; “Stevie Nicks: a survivor’s story,” The Telegraph, 8 Sept. 2007, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3667803/Stevie-Nicks-a-survivors-story.html; Lizzie Catt with Lisa Higgins, Jack Teague, “I’d love to have had a baby, says Stevie Nicks,” Express, 12 May 2011, https://www.express.co.uk/dayandnight/246115/I-d-love-to-have-had-a-baby-says-Stevie-Nicks
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