Anti-psychotic drugs such as Haldol and Risperdal were developed to treat schizophrenia, but have recently been used for much broader purposes. They have been used to treat aggression in people suffering from everything from attention-deficit disorder to depression to the intellectually handicapped.
A new study finds, however, that these drugs are no more effective than placebos in treating aggression in the mentally disabled. This suggests that the drugs are being abused, and should be prescribed less often.