The Mental Illness Of Depression

In recent years, there has been an increase in occurrence of individuals with mental disorders and violent crimes committed by those with mental illnesses. A major challenge in contemplating the relationship between mental disorders and violent behavior lies within how the two offer large portions of the same danger variables. Offenders with mental health issues have a tendency to participate in more deviant types of criminal acts than those without such issues. This paper is sought to synthesize the relationship among individuals who are mentally ill and why there are criminal acts followed by certain behaviors. The essential objective is to identify the problems, symptoms, and treatments for individuals who suffer from mental disorders.

Another theme which ties a link between mental illness and crime is vulnerability. After speaking with a few officers, vulnerability and low state of mind was an occurring issue which influenced people to commit crimes. Sgt Haworth went on to describe his own interpretation of what mental illness is through his own experiences.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness a mental illness can be defined as “a condition that impacts a person 's thinking, feeling or mood and may affect his or her ability to relate to others and function on a daily basis.” Mental illness can be the result of multiple factors such as lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and genetics. There are a few mental illness that we primarily associate with people that commit these malicious acts such as; Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Depression, Dissociative Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Schizophrenia.

“What is more likely is that there is a correlation between mental illness and crime, whereby an individual suffers from mental heath issues and has other factors that are occurring at the same time (ex. substance abuse and Bir-polar disorder)” (Eyjolfson, personal communication, June 13, 2018). “Comorbidity is very common and often very difficult to treat given limited resources, training and time” (Eyjolfson, personal communication, June 13,

The relationship that exists between mental illness and crime is not only crucial, but it is complex. When a crime is committed, ultimately the goal is for the offender to be rightfully charged and punished. But let’s say one who suffers from schizophrenia was

Rates of those with mental illnesses is 4-6 times higher in jails than it is in the general population.3 The most common mental illnesses involved with crime are bipolar disorders, major depression, and

What is mental illness? It is a term that is used by professionals to diagnose an individual with a mental condition ranging from minor to severe. Having a mental illness delays a person ability to function properly. In some cases when an individual has a mental illness and commits a crime it could possibly clear them from criminal responsibility, but this is a rare occasion. It is important to note, “even a seriously disordered individual has some decision-making ability” (Bartol and Bartol, 2014, p. 212). Another vital factor to take into consideration is although “mental illness is still used in the psychological, psychiatric, and legal literature, as well as in both

Psychiatric disorders, such as Schizophrenia, when left undiagnosed and untreated, can lead to criminal behavior. Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that severely affects the way people interpret reality. The inability to distinguish between what is real and what is unreal, places schizophrenics at risk of committing crimes. To elaborate, schizophrenic patients often experience symptoms that include delusions and hallucinations; simply put, altered realities. These symptoms make it difficult for patients to function or perform daily routines normally. Patients with the disease may experience hallucinations; they may believe in things that aren 't real, or become delusional; they may exhibit irrational or disordered thinking; and their

Although there are many types of mental disorders, schizophrenia is most commonly linked to crimes

Dispite the correlation between mental illness and violence being modest, those suffering from mental illnesses are at an increased risk of commiting violence. Mental illness as described by Dennis Howitt (2011) is a diversity of conditions where the characteristics are impotent and afflicting impairment in the psychological functioning of a person. This definition provided by Howitt is quite broad and the focus here will be on mental illness caused by alchol/drug abuse; personality disorders such as major depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, impulse disorders; and also on schizophrenia spectrum disorders. As Monohan (1992) explains, while many people would prefer to deny that mental health disorders and violence are in assosciation

Psychiatric disorders, such as Schizophrenia, when left undiagnosed and untreated, can lead to criminal behavior. Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that severely affects the way people interpret reality. The inability to distinguish between what is real and what is unreal, places schizophrenics at risk of committing crimes. To elaborate, schizophrenic patients often experience symptoms that include delusions and hallucinations; simply put, altered realities. These symptoms make it difficult for patients to function or perform daily routines normally. Patients with the disease may

Methods: Diagnosis and identification of mental conditions that could cause a person to commit crime are examined and contextualized. Genetic causes are examined.

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

How do you feel when you read the term ‘depression’? Do your feelings differ when you read the term ‘influenza’? Perhaps your answer is yes, but why? Clinical depression is an illness just as the influenza virus is an illness. Clinical depression can be defined as a chemical imbalance in the brain, resulting in a pervasive and persistent low mood. In comparison, the influenza virus, more commonly known as the flu, can be defined as a viral infection of the respiratory passages resulting in coughing, the production of excess mucous, and a sore throat. The location and nature of each illness may differ from one another, but a victim is simply a victim. Thus I question why twenty-first

One idea as to why a mentally ill person may turn to crime, is that they look at those with a “better life,” see what they have and in turn want it, even if that means obtaining it illegally. They may also lash out, due to being frustrated with themselves and their inability to conform to societal ideals. Link et al. (2016) states, “Mental illness leads to increased strain as it can cause a decline in socioeconomic status, coupled with low social support, can sort