Violence and mental illness – the facts
These are some of the surprising facts and figures about the link between mental illness and violence:
The number of homicides committed by people with mental
illness in the UK has remained stable since the 1950s,
demonstrating that the introduction of ‘care in the
community’ has not increased the risk to the public
(Homicides by people with mental illness: myth and
reality British Journal of Psychiatry, Taylor and Gunn,
1999), at a time when the overall rate of
homicides has tripled.
A very small number of people who have a combination of conditions such as a severe mental illness, anti-social personality disorder and an alcohol or drug abuse problem, pose a heightened risk. However, they contribute to a relatively small proportion of all violent crimes (Shunned, Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness, Thornicroft G, 2006, Oxford University Press).
Alcohol and drug problems are associated with a much greater risk of violence than mental illness (Shunned, Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness, Thornicroft G, 2006, Oxford University Press).
A very small number of people who have a combination of conditions such as a severe mental illness, anti-social personality disorder and an alcohol or drug abuse problem, pose a heightened risk. However, they contribute to a relatively small proportion of all violent crimes (Shunned, Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness, Thornicroft G, 2006, Oxford University Press).
Alcohol and drug problems are associated with a much greater risk of violence than mental illness (Shunned, Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness, Thornicroft G, 2006, Oxford University Press).
"When I read about a 'paranoid schizophrenic' going 'psycho' in the papers, I just want to hide."
"I can’t face going to the pub – they all know I’ve been ill and I know what they’ll be thinking, even my mates. It’s just so unfair. My voices are a pain in the backside, but they never tell me to harm anyone. And anyway, I’d never hurt a fly."
Martin Rukin, 49, a father-of-five, is a former soldier who served in Northern Ireland and has schizophrenia.
People with severe mental illness are more likely to be the victims than perpetrators of violent crime (Violence and Schizophrenia: Examining the Evidence, Walsh E et al, The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2002). One study found one in four were attacked in the course of a year and were 11 times more likely to be victimised than the general population (Archives of General Psychiatry, August 2007, Linda Teplin). This form of ‘hate crime’ is under-recognised by the police and authorities, unlike violence on religious or race grounds.
