Mental Illness And Violence

Over the past few decades, many researches have strived to test and explain the correlation between violence and crime and mental illness. Moore and Hiday (2006) assert that up 22% of inmates has a mental illness, sometimes containing more mental illness patients than many psychiatric units. Due to these statistics it is evident how important it is to understand the causes of the correlations between crime and violence and mental disorders. This proposal wishes to explain and understand the possible correlation and the reasons for such correlation between mental health illnesses and violence and crime. Further research to test

Violence can be harmful and destructive to the psychological, physical or material state of others (Steadman & Cocozza, 1978). When the offender is a forensic psychiatric patient it is considered that the individual is unfit to stand trial or unable to understand the responsibility and reality of the crime (Douglas, Ogloff, & Hart, 2003). Judicial systems take into consideration to what extend the crime was commited by a person due to a mental dissability and resprctfull mental health institutions require reliable tools for mental health risk assessment and also management of offenders (Gendreau, Little, & Goggin, 1996; Doyle, Dolan & McGovern, 2002); Also needed, to assert equitable

The researchers of the Dorn et al. (2012) study conducted in person interviews with non-institutionalized individuals in two waves. In wave one; data was collected between 2001 and 2003 and in wave two, between 2004 and 2005. The definition of mental illness for this study was those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are in line with the other studies in this review. The data used was obtained from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). This data was examined by the researchers with SAS where they used univariate rates of violence and bivariate relationships between mental disorder between the two waves and then multivariable connections to see the relationship between mental illness and violence. Their results were in contrast with recent findings that there is little connection between mental illness and violence. The results show that people with severe mental illness have higher risk of violence than those with no mental health or substance abuse issues. Dorn et al. (2012) also state that the NESARC data shows a causal relationship between severe mental illness and risk of violence.

Conclusion Although there will always be stereotypes on mental illness, many of the misperceptions proven wrong in recent years (McKenzie, 2005). There still will be myths, but maybe in time people will be able to understand and help these, slightly different, but completely normal people. Reshaping beliefs is not an easy task, but it is important to correct the misleading information about this issue. It can lead to intolerance and negatively impacts the lives of people with mental illness and our society as a whole. Learning about the facts about violence and mental illness is an important first step in building realistic attitudes about this issue.

Numerous studies and surveys have been conducted, and based on those surveys many people think that mental illness and violence go hand in hand. I’m also apart of that percentage that agrees with mental illnesses being linked to violence. In the year of 2006, a national survey was conducted and it found that 60% of Americans thought that people with schizophrenia were likely to act violently toward someone else, while 32% thought that people with major depression were likely to do so. Now schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly, and can last for the rest of that individual’s life. It’s a condition that cannot be cured. Now does this mean that everyone with schizophrenia commits crime? Most individuals with psychiatric disorders are not violent. Although a percentage of people with psychiatric disorders commits assaults and violent crimes, research still hasn’t proved that a person’s mental stability led to crime. Some individuals with certain mental disorders are capable of committing crime if triggered, but it doesn't mean that every individual with mental disorders and incapabilities will commit crime, that's just public opinion.

According to the survey conducted by Australian bureau of statics in 2007 one in every five Australian aged 16-85 had a mental disorder. Mental health problem is the behavioural pattern that occur in an individual, which is caused by psychological defects (DSM V). It is contemplated that mental health problems increase the risk of violent offending but researchers suggest that mental health problem does not play a leading role in violent offending. There are other factors which in combination with mental health will increase the risk of violent offending. This point is argued in the light of research done in people with schizophrenia and criminal offending (Morgan et al 2012), which is a whole-of-population data covering all of western Australia. We will also look into research which shows the percentage of schizophrenia patients who have done violent offending after their first contact with the mental hospital (Munkner, Haastrup, Sci, Joergensen & Kramp 2005). Another article on psychiatric case register from the state of Victoria in Australia which is one of the world largest psychiatric register looks into schizophrenia in association with violent offending (Wallace, Mullen & Burgess 2004). Yet another research discussed in this essay looks for schizophrenia as a predictor of violent offending (Soyka, Graz, Bottlender, Dirschedl & Schoech). A comparison study of offending in high function autistic spectrum disorder and community sample done by Smith, Clare, Holland &

In the article of Harvard Health it stated that, “A 2006 national survey found, for example, that 60% of Americans thought that people with schizophrenia were likely to act violently toward someone else, while 32% thought that people with major depression were likely to do so” (“Mental Illness and Violence”). My thoughts about this is that it seems almost easier to blame those with mental illness are the cause of violence. For instance, when it comes to school shooting most people label them as crazy and that they must have a mental illness. The way I see it is that most individuals with psychiatric disorders are not violent. Yes some may become violent but I don’t see having a mental illness being the reason they are violent. Too little is known about this and connecting it with violence. There is actually more researches supporting the view on the mentally ill are more often victims than perpetrators of

The main topic of study is to determine whether there is a correlation between mental health problems and violence among criminal offenders. The purpose of the study conducted by (Felson, Silver and Vaneseltine) was to examine whether criminal offenders with mental health problems were more likely to commit violent crimes in comparison to offenders without mental health problems. (p 405). There are elements which will be critiqued and analysed further.

In recent years, there has been a connection linked with individuals who are mentally ill and violent crimes that occur within them. Mental Illness is often associated with why people commit crimes. A person that is considered mentally ill will sometimes steer in the direction of violence. Mental illness is a term in history that refers collectively to all mental disorders that are diagnosable. Schizophrenia has been labeled as the most common mental disorder individuals have for the reason to why they commit violent crimes. Schizophrenia is a very serious mental disorder in which a person cannot think or behave normally and often experience delusions.

A small group of people with mental illness (those with severe and untreated symptoms of schizophrenia with Psychosis, major depression or bi-polar mood disorder) may have an increased rate of violence. In this group, Individuals who are suffering from psychotic symptoms that cause them to feel threatened or manipulated by Outside forces have a greater tendency towards violent behaviour. In spite of this, with early assessment and Appropriate treatment, individuals with severe illness are no more dangerous than the general population. Community treatment programs have also been found to be helpful in the management of behaviours that lead to crime.

The association between mental illness and crime has been a complex issue of ancient medical and policy importance; time after time relating researches have ignited debates and heated arguments which have had positive implications for both health and criminal justice systems.

In an article written by J. R. Cutcliffee and B. Hannigan (2001) there is discussion regarding the power of coverage by media outlets and the ways in which these outlets present mental illness. It is suggested that media tends to highlight the violent acts of those with mental illness and cast these individuals as being dangerous and prone to crime. Numerous times throughout the article it was stated how inadequately mass media characterizes mental health issues to society. An in-depth description of the relation that is created between mental health and violent tendencies is created with the use of media coverage by the authors. It is necessary to note that this is not always the case, as media often to reports a link between the two but not

As mentioned by Howitt (2015), a mental illness can be defined as ‘a variety of psychological conditions in which there is a characteristic disabling and distressing impairment in some aspect of the psychological functioning of the individual.’ However, not all mental illnesses are found to be at risk of violent offending. Such illnesses as anxiety and depression are found to be less violent than mental health problems such as bipolar and schizophrenia, both of which will be included in the subset of mental health problems recognised as violent for the purpose of this essay. The relationship that has been identified between mental illness and crime has the ability to be misconceived through misclassification of violent mentally ill offenders and a variety of factors which have the ability to cloud the evidence of the

Mental illness has a variety of forms, however, not all are associated with violent offending. It is rather severe mental illnesses in isolated individuals that lead to such offences (Vogel, 2014).

Along with psychological illnesses comes a lot of unwanted misconceptions that the public sometimes views as factual when in truth only applies to a very limited if any at all cases. These misconceptions are harmful and can really be damaging to people, therefore it is important to understand what is true and what isn’t when dealing with psychological illnesses. A very common misconception that is prevalent even today is that individuals with a mental illness or mental illnesses have a high probability of being aggressive or violent. This is a false statement, people with a mental illness are not any more prone to violence or aggression than the average person.