Origin of Schizophrenia

Mental Illness has been prevalent all throughout our history from Isaac Newton to Abraham Lincoln to Sylvia Plath and so on. These illnesses can be as minor as a slight bipolar disorder or as severe as schizophrenia. In recent years, mental illnesses are becoming more prevalent in our criminal justice systems than anywhere else. Mental illness is becoming an association with crime and based on the information that has been found, this paper will attempt to further define the problem of mental illness within our criminal justice system and offer alternatives or insights as to how to possibly help with this problem.

Due to the complexity of the human brain there is an extreme difficulty in being able to scientifically discover all the facts about these disablements. The Atlantic interviewed Dr. Christine Montross, a psychiatrist at Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island about defining Mental Illness. To summarize the interview the conclusion that Montross came too is that mental ailments are extremely delicate issues, there is difficulty in separating an actual problem from something such as temporary depression caused by the human condition. This difficulty in diagnosing creates confusion on treatment and the next steps required to prevent the patient from making poor choices. Due to this very troubling diagnosis many patients end up without care, or given substance to combat their mental state (Resse). A study conducted by Harvard medical school shows that people with ailments such as schizophrenia are over 50% more likely to commit a dangerous crime when addicted to a substance such as those prescribed to combat a vast majority of mental ailments (Harvard Medical School). The vast majority of those with these problems however do not seek help and are left to deal with their problems themselves, never seeking expert attention or help. These individuals that are more likely to commit crimes and specifically homicide most commonly have schizophrenia, psychopathy, brain damage, or

While most people are concerned and want violent offenders punished and thrown in prison (which is a valid concern), it is rare that violent acts are committed by the mentally ill. For those crimes the mentally ill commits, prison may not always be the right answer; instead, proper treatment and rehabilitation would be much better. In general, the statement has always been made that the

This graph in an article from the January 15, 2007 printing of the New York Times show the trend in institutionalization in prisons, mental hospitals, and the total number of incarcerated people. It shows a gradual increase of the overall total and those in mental institutions from 1928 until it levels off at a peak from 1940 to 1958. From 1958 the number in mental institutions and overall dramatically decrease while the number in prisons dramatically increase. At about 1970 the number in mental institutions and those in prisons cross so that the number in prisons are greater, rising quickly to almost equal the total number of incarcerated by 2000. This agrees with the book Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness’s claim that deinstitutionalization in the 1970s resulted in mental hospitals being emptied and jails taking their place as housing for the mentally ill. It is a reliable source because it is in the New York Times.

This essay will look at the public understanding of the nature of mental disorder and to what extent it is associated with dangerousness and violence. The essay will begin by exploring the public’s perspectives and opinions on the matter and the impact that the mentally ill have on crime rates. Specific social perspectives will also be explored..

The conditions of psychiatric hospitals were poorly maintained yet again. From the late 1800s until the mid-1900s, the conditions of these institutions were hit or miss. Despite the rising population of those in need of mental health treatment, conditions were deteriorating across the board. This pushed in the deinstitutionalization movement (Nevid, Rathus, & Green, 2014). This was a push to remove patients from state-run hospitals into a more community-based treatment center. In most cases today, there are treatment plans in place depending upon the severity of the disorder an individual may be suffering from. It’s more about treating an individual with any variety of modern techniques or therapies and trying to reintegrate them into society rather than a lifelong stay in an institution. Deinstitutionalization didn’t work the way it was intended. After it was put into place there was a rise in the homeless population and different programs that were supposed to be put into place didn’t live up to

In early years of the last century, housing mentally individuals in local jails or prisons was seen as inhumane and a reform movement led by Dorothea Dix began. This led to the building of mental hospitals. It was once believed that mentally ill individuals deserved to be treated and not punished. However, deinstitutionalization happened which was the emptying of state mental hospitals due to overcrowding and deterioration as well as the introduction of effective anti-psychotic medications and increased funding for the establishment of mental health centers. By the early 1970’s, it was becoming evident that the emptying of the state mental hospitals turned many prisons throughout the U.S into institutions. Despite this clear evidence, deinstitutionalization continues even to this day. The mentally ill, left with few resources, largely turned to petty crime, ending up in prison because there were no other better alternatives.

221) report that the mentally ill population is also more likely to victims of crime due to factors of “housing status, treatment status, clinical factors, involvement with

Literature Analysis and Research Proposal of the Correlation between Mental Illness and Violence and Crime

Schizophrenia is a behavioural disorder that affects both men and woman. It involves a difficulty in telling the different between real and imagined experiences. The disorder usually sees its onset in teen years or young adulthood. It is often referred to as a type of split personality or multiple personality disorder. Oftentimes people with this condition find themselves socially isolated mainly because people with this condition find it difficult to make normal social responses and have generally disorganized minds. The irritability caused by living with a mind that feels confused much of the time often causes feelings of depression, anxiety and sometimes suicidal thoughts. With treatment many people manage to function well with

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder or illness that was first identified as an isolated behavior of madness without proper care. This medical illness has been around since 1751 when individuals were classified as “the most dangerous and disruptive lunatics” (Roccatagliata, 1986, pp.50-54). No one factor appears to be most significant in the origin of schizophrenia. It was not until nearly a century later when several physicians practiced productive research and therapy to show that this disorder can be treated and controlled so these individuals can live normal and productive lives (Heinrichs, 2001, pp.15-18).

“God must have been having a bad day,” a father recently wrote me, “when He allowed schizophrenia to come into existence.” E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. (Walsh, 1985)

Further research in the nineties (Lindqvist & Allebeck, 1990) used a longitudinal study, looking at the crime rates of individuals with schizophrenia compared to the general population. Their findings revealed that women who are suffering from schizophrenia are twice as likely to become involved in criminal behaviour than the general female population. Whereas men with schizophrenia were no more likely than the general population to become criminals. Furthermore the rate of violence was four times higher in individuals with schizophrenia (men and women) compared to the general

In recent years, there has been a higher prevalence of articles in the media in relation to mental illness and crime. This is due to a higher focus of research in the past half-century by criminal psychologists into the relationship between mental illness and violence. A conclusion has then come of this research that people with mental health problems are at increased risk of violent offending. This is determined through classification and misclassification of mental illness and clinical aspects of violence. However, there are also seen to be additional factors and trends that impact a person with mental illness’s likelihood of becoming a violent offender.

The aim of this essay is to describe and discuss the biomedical dimensions in the etiology of Schizophrenia with the use of the case study of Jonathan who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had all the clear symptoms of schizophrenia as well as a treatment that controlled the schizophrenic symptoms which allows him to live a productive life. The essay will firstly involve a brief outline of Schizophrenia and its effects on a human’s ability to function normally within society. It will also describe and discuss the brain's structures that are implicated in the cause of Schizophrenia and how these lead to symptoms as well as discuss how the neurochemistry can be a possible causative factor in Schizophrenia and finally, how the medication given