HHS Chief RFK Jr. Orders Studies on SSRIs, Hormone Drugs After Minnesota Shooting

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that the department, working with the National Institutes of Health, will open a series of studies into whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other psychiatric medications could contribute to violent behavior. Kennedy also disclosed that researchers will examine potential links between gender-affirming hormone therapies and suicidal ideation among transgender patients, pointing out that several of the medicines already carry warnings about such risks. The initiative follows this week’s shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, which the secretary cited as a reminder of the need to scrutinize the public-health effects of widely prescribed drugs. HHS has not yet released details on the scope, timeline or funding for the research.