Violent Crimes – Is Mental Illness to Blame?

When we hear incidents of violent acts – in the news, social media, or other means – at times we tell ourselves, “The criminal must be out of his mind.” Well, that could literally be the case. Although most violent crimes are committed by people with stable state of mind, there are a few cases where crimes are done by people with mental illnesses.

Does this tell us that mental illness plays a major role in violent crimes? Before we tackle the mental illness and violence relationship, it would be appropriate to first understand what mental illness is and how it affects individuals and families.

What is Mental Illness?

Some might have the impression that mental illness is synonymous to psychosis. Is that really so? According to Mayo Clinic, “mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.” Of course, even a person without mental illness can experience mood changes at times. But a person with this condition experiences extreme changes in his mood, isolates himself from family and friends, feels overwhelmed by feeling of sadness that even their eating habits are greatly affected. As a result, one cannot normally function in his daily life and routine. Thus leading to impaired relationship with friends, family, school mates or workmates. Examples of these are anxiety and depressive disorder.

Well that did not sound like psychosis, did it? That is because mental illness vary in severity. Severe forms of mental illness include schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorders. Symptoms include detachment from reality, hallucination, and delusion.

Mental Illness and Violence

According to Mayo Clinic, one of the symptoms of mental illness is “excessive anger, hostility or violence.” Does this confirm the relationship between mental illness and violence? We need to remember that a person with mental illness need not to experience all the symptoms, including violence, in order to be considered mentally ill. In fact, MentalHealth.gov even pointed out that “most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness.” The same reference even stated that people with mental illness are “over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population.”

Those Mentally Ill Need Our Help

Instead of blaming violent incidents as a result of mental illness, we do well to consider how we can help family members experiencing this condition. Mental illness is not a hopeless case. Although genes might play a role in developing the symptoms, proper intervention can help stabilize a person’s mood, thinking and behavior, thus helping him to normally function in his everyday life. Family members of a mentally ill person can show their support by seeking professional help for their loved one, and by cooperating with the necessary interventions including therapy and medications.
Before jumping into a conclusion that mentally ill persons are hostile and violent, it is good to first take the time to understand a mentally ill person’s condition, and to remember that violence is often a result of poor support from the family and society.

If you need our services, please contact us:
Meyer Bail Bonds
622 SW Van Buren St
Topeka KS 66603
785-789-4664
https://www.meyerbailbondstopekaks.com
https://goo.gl/maps/N5rMBZkm8UE2