In the wake of several mass shootings in the United States, the relationship between psychiatric illness and criminality has been the subject of heated debate and scrutiny. While the renewed focus and media attention on mental health in the aftermath of such tragedies is a positive development, the relationship between mental illness and criminality is all too often conflated. People with mental illnesses are thought to be more likely to commit acts of violence and aggression, according to popular belief. The public's perception of psychiatric patients as dangerous people is often based on the media's portrayal of criminals as "crazy" people. A large body of evidence suggests the opposite. People with mental illness are more likely to be a victim of violent crime than the perpetrator. This bias extends all the way to the criminal justice system, where persons with mental illness get treated as criminals, arrested, charged, and jailed for a longer time in jail compared to the general population. Download the file elow to read more on likely causes and recommendations on psychiatric illness and criminality:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OFvdtb7x0EgsiwsjvDDjSvISxWLr86_GGWy7J3EoCkA/edit?usp=drivesdk
Great post thanks for sharing.
This really is a big problem, and the media forget to mention that often individuals who commit crimes due to some psychiatric issue are as in need of help as are those who have suffered directly.