The authors conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of lithium on aggressive behavior. The 66 subjects, who were prisoners in a medium security institution, ranged in age from 16 to 24 years, were physically healthy and nonpsychotic, and had histories of chronic impulsive aggressive behavior. Subjects received lithium or placebo daily for up to 3 months. There was a significant reduction in aggressive behavior in the lithium group as measured by a decrease in infractions involving violence. The authors suggest that lithium can have a clinically useful effect upon impulsive aggressive behavior when this behavior is not associated with psychosis.
As part of a study of drug treatment of aggressive behavior to be reported separately, we have evaluated the double-blind procedure in a recently completed comparison of the efficacy of lithium carbonate versus placebo in modifying aggressive behavior in nonpsychotic incarcerated delinquents. We conclude that the side effects of lithium carbonate are sufficient to reveal the medication to most subjects receiving it. Thus, while the study staff could not identify lithium-receivers at better than chance levels, and while subjects who received placebo could not identify their medication at better than chance levels, subjects who received lithium could accurately identify it. On a weekly symptom check list there was no difference between lithium and placebo groups on average lithium target symptoms reported during 4-week pre- and postmedication control periods; however, lithium-receivers reported significantly more target symptoms every week medication was administered. Of 16 subjects who quit the study, 14 had received lithium and nearly all of those who gave reasons for quitting specified side effects, most often nausea. The methodological problems of using lithium in a double-blind design might be overcome by employing a "discontinuation" design, or, speculatively, a double-blind, cross-over design utilizing an "active placebo".
A Creativity Attitude Survey has been constructed for research use at the elementary school level. Normative data are available for over 20 samples of school children. Reliability and validity data collected to date indicate that the Creativity Attitude Survey is a promising instrument for further research. It appears to be a particularly effective measure of the immediate and long-term effects of creativity training programs.
Preincarceration drug-use patterns were investigated retrospectively in 58 male prisoners, average age 18.6 years, of whom 50% were White, 43% Black, and 7% Hispanic. Fifty-five percent were classified as drug-dependent, 36% as regular, and 9% as casual users of at least one drug. Classification according to numbers of "hard" drugs used regularly gave equal percentages of subjects using none, one to two, or more than two (polydrug users). The polydrug users were predominantly White and often used amphetamines or hallucinogens, while those using one to two "hard" drugs regularly were predominantly Black, eschewed hallucinogens, and preferred narcotics.
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