Free Republic

The coronavirus quarantine has contributed to a surge in the demand for prescription tranquilizers and sleep aids in the United States, as Americans continue to feel on edge about the uncertainty of the disease, according to a new research report. The largest spike was in prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs, which rose 34.1 percent from mid-February to mid-March, per the pharmacy benefit management organization Express Scripts. From February 16 to March 15, prescriptions for antidepressants rose 18.6 percent, while sleeping medications ticked up by 14.8 percent.

ATLANTA (CBS Atlanta) – For the first time ever, scientists have linked prescription drugs that affect the central nervous system to an increased risk of committing a homicide. European researchers found that people who were taking a class of tranquilizers called benzodiazpines were more likely to kill someone than those who were not taking these medicines, reports Live Science.

Failure to screen U.S. troops for mental health problems may be the cause of an increasing suicide rate among soldiers serving in Iraq, a report says. According to an investigation by the Hartford (Conn.) Courant, fewer than one in 300 service members see a mental health professional before shipping out, despite a congressional order that all deploying troops by screened, the newspaper reported Sunday. The report uncovered evidence of soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress syndrome being sent back to the war zone and unstable troops being kept on the front lines while taking potent anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs. In addition, the...