The relationship between mental illness and crime has been an intensely debated topic in the recent past. There has been an increase in crimes such as mass shootings and other violent crimes, and the mental state of a person that can cause harm to innocent individuals has come under scrutiny. A person’s psychological state can play a significant role in deciding the nature and severity of the crime. The public perception is that people with mental illness are more likely to commit crimes and engage in violent acts and aggression. The media has also portrayed the mentally ill as ‘crazy’ individuals. The relationship between mental illness and crime is a rather complex one since mental illness does not necessarily lead to crime.
Mental illness can be defined as the presence of psychological conditions that can disable, distress, and impair an individual’s psychological functioning. Crime can be described as an action that is against the law that can include violence and brutal harm to the victim. One of the symptoms of mental illness is that an individual can engage in violent and aggressive acts. Such violence is more prevalent in illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but less prevalent in illnesses like depression and anxiety. The presence of violence in some mental illnesses has created the public perception that mentally ill individuals are violent and more likely to engage in crime.
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Mental illness can be associated with crime as there is a high number of inmates that are mentally ill. Al-Rousan et al. (2017) investigated the prevalence of mental illness among the inmates in Iowa. The study revealed that approximately half (48%) of all inmates were diagnosed with mental illness. 29% of the entire population experienced serious mental illnesses, while 26% had a history of substance abuse disorder. The most prevalent mental illnesses were anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence shows that there is a need to further understand why most inmates find themselves behind bars.
One of the reasons for the high number of mentally ill inmates is that people with mental illness are usually arrested and sent to prison in disproportionate numbers. The individuals could lack the resources or may not be aware of how to handle the criminal justice system (Ghiasi et al., 2020). The police often arrest the mentally ill for petty crimes like wandering and jaywalking as a preventive measure. Ghiasi et al. (2020) further observed that the closure of psychiatric hospitals forced many psychiatric patients in the streets, and they came in frequent contact with the courts and police. The result is that the mentally ill disproportionately account for a significant percentage of the prison population.
Mentally ill patients can engage in violent acts and crime when exposed to certain conditions. Some of the conditions include receiving inadequate treatments, misusing alcohol and other drugs, experiencing fear and paranoia, and constantly experiencing delusions. Köşger et al. (2016) investigated the risk factors that could lead to violence among mentally ill patients with schizophrenia. The study showed that incompliance with treatment and alcohol and substance abuse were the highest risk factors for violent crimes. The study showed that mental illness in itself might not lead to crime. However, the association of mental illness with other factors can increase the possibility of a crime.
The association of mental illnesses and crime is based on public perception, and the relationship is inextricably intertwined. According to Varshney et al. (2016), associating mental illness with crime is a perception that is not based on literature as mentally ill individuals make a small percentage of violent offenders. In the United States, less than five percent of violent activities can be associated with mental illness (Varshney et al., 2016). While people who commit violent acts and crime can have several problems leading to the crimes, untreatable mental illness is usually not the cause. The perception has been augmented by the media, which emphasizes violence and mental illness. The result has been a societal bias and stigma associated with a psychiatric diagnosis.
The analysis of mass shootings shows that they are not caused by mental illness but can also be caused by several other factors. The incidences of mass shootings have resulted in calls to address the situation by addressing untreated mental illnesses. Serious mental illnesses that have been associated with mass shootings include major depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia. However, the highest risk factors that contribute to mass shootings include the availability of firearms. Policies that address mass shootings should not focus on mental illnesses but gun control. Mental illness is not the only risk factor for crime as other risk factors can lead to crime.
In conclusion, the association between mental illness and crime showed that it is a complicated issue affected by different factors. The high prevalence of mental illness among inmates was because mentally ill individuals are disproportionately arrested. Different factors can also lead to a higher prevalence of crime, such as inadequate treatment and alcohol and drug abuse. The implication from the study is that there needs to be a collaboration among psychiatrists, social workers, and law enforcement to reduce the risk factors of people with mental illnesses committing a crime. The approach should involve identifying patients at risk and providing resources that reduce the contact between mentally ill patients and the criminal justice system. Additionally, the public perception of associating mental illness and crime should also be addressed to reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses.
References
Al-Rousan, T., Rubenstein, L., Sieleni, B., Deol, H., & Wallace, R. B. (2017). Inside the nation’s largest mental health institution: A prevalence study in a state prison system. BMC public health , 17 (1), 1-9.
Ghiasi, N., Azhar, Y., & Singh, J. (2020). Psychiatric illness and criminality. StatPearls [Internet] . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537064/
Köşger, F., Eşsizoğlu, A., Sönmez, İ., Güleç, G., Genek, M., & Akarsu, Ö. (2016). The Relationship Between Violence and the Clinical Features, Insight and Cognitive Functions of Patients with Schizophrenia. Turkish Journal of Psychiatry , 27 (2).
Varshney, M., Mahapatra, A., Krishnan, V., Gupta, R., & Deb, K. S. (2016). Violence and mental illness: what is the true story?. J Epidemiol Community Health , 70 (3), 223-225.
