The stigma surrounding mental illness hasn’t gone away. Just think about how often in the wake of mass violence, politicians and the media seem eager to suggest some kind of tenuous link to mental illness as a means of explaining the inexplicable. It’s true that some people who commit violent crimes are mentally ill; however, mental illness rarely causes people to commit crime and is not a contributor to the majority of crimes.
If mental illness were a significant contributor to violent crime, it stands to reason that there would be an elevated rate of mental illness in those who commit those crimes, but studies don’t show that. The incidence of mental illness among violent criminals is in line with that of the entire US population, about 22 percent. In reality, people with mental illness are 3 times more likely to be the victims of crime, particularly assault and murder[1]. Studies have shown over and over that mentally ill people commit far fewer violent crimes than people without any form of psychological disturbance[2].
The real relationship between mental illness and violence is clear: people with mental illness are consistently more often the victims of all crimes, especially violent crimes, than the perpetrators of such crimes[3]. Ironically, untruths about mental illness continue to keep the stigma of mental illness alive[4]. That stigma sometimes keeps people from getting the help they need, so they become more likely to spiral downward and then become the victims of violent crime.
Substance abuse combined with severe mental illness is the only condition in which violence is more likely than in the general population that doesn’t suffer from addiction.[5] Schizophrenia combined with heavy substance abuse can produce a volatile situation. However, perpetrators of mass murder in the US have consistently been sober during the commission of their crimes.
Mental health issues are a reality for around 75 million Americans. The most common mental illnesses include depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Although there have been many studies investigating the possible links between violent behavior and these three disorders, no such link has ever been found or demonstrated. Like anyone else, people with mental illness can have episodes of aggressive behavior without crossing the line into crime[6].
Damaris Aragon, ARNP, BC provides a full spectrum of mental health care to people in Spokane, Washington and the surrounding areas. She focuses on providing compassionate personalized care that adheres to current evidence-based standards. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592.
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160252797000289?via%3Dihub
[2] https://jech.bmj.com/content/70/3/223
[3] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01300.x
[4] https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-19091-003?doi=1
[5] https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/mental-illness-and-violence
[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0193953X05703208
