Antipsychotic drugs that are used “off-label”for controlling violent behavior in mentally challenged patients are lesseffective than placebos and dummy pills, according to a new British study.

The report flies in the face of standard practices innursing homes and mental health clinics, which regularly prescribeantipsychotics for off-label purposes, experts said.

In the study, 86 people with low IQs or other mentalproblems were given Risperdal or a generic form of Haldol (both areantipsychotics) or a placebo pill. After one month of study, patients receivingthe placebo had calmed down significantly more than either of the groups on theanti-psychotics, researchers said.

The extra attention given to patients caused much of thecalming affect, claims Dr. Peter J. Tyrer, a professor of psychiatry atImperial College London who led the research effort.

“These people tend to get so little companynormally. They’re neglected, they tend to be pushed into the background, andthis extra attention has a much bigger effect on them that it would on a personof a more normal intelligence level,” Dr. Tyrer said.

But though the report concluded that the routineprescription of the drugs for aggression “should no longer be regarded as asatisfactory form of care,” authors also noted that their report”should not be interpreted as an indication that antipsychotic drugs haveno place in the treatment of some aspects of behavior disturbance.”