Criminal Victimisation in People with Severe Mental Illness: A Multi-Site Prevalence and Incidence Survey in the Netherlands

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough crime victimisation is as prevalent in psychiatric patients as crime perpetration (and possibly more so), few European figures for it are available. We therefore assessed its one-year prevalence and incident rates in Dutch severely mentally ill outpatients, and compared the results with victimisation rates in the general population.MethodThis multisite epidemiological survey included a random sample of 956 adult severely mentally ill outpatients. Data on victimisation were obtained using the victimisation scale of the Dutch Crime and Victimisation Survey, which assesses crime victimisation over the preceding 12 months. Comparison data were derived from the nationwide survey on safety and victimisation in the Netherlands. Prevalence and incident rates were weighted for sex, age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and compared with a general population sample matched by region (N = 38,227).ResultsIn the past year, almost half of the severely mentally ill outpatients (47%) had been victim of a crime. After control for demographic differences, prevalence rates of overall and specific victimisation measures were significantly higher in severely mentally ill outpatients than in the general population. The relative rates were especially high for personal crimes such as violent threats (RR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.72–2.61), physical assaults (RR = 4.85, 95% CI: 3.69–6.39) and sexual harassment and assaults (RR = 3.94, 95% CI: 3.05–5.09). In concordance, severely mentally ill outpatients reported almost 14 times more personal crime incidents than persons from the general population (IRR = 13.68, 95% CI: 12.85–14.56).ConclusionCrime victimisation is a serious problem in Dutch severely mentally ill outpatients. Mental-healthcare institutions and clinicians should become aware of their patients’ victimisation risk, and should implement structural measures to detect and prevent (re-)victimisation.

Self‐wise, Other‐wise, Streetwise (SOS) training, an intervention to prevent victimization in dual‐diagnosis patients: results from a randomized clinical trial

“…Mental health-care professionals working with dual-diagnosis patients indicated a 50% reduction of victimization incidents as a clinically relevant and achievable goal. The Safety Monitor is used by Statistics Netherlands to measure victimization on a large scale and has previously been used to study victimization in patients with severe mental illness [22,23]. The Safety Monitor is a victimization survey that is the Dutch equivalent of the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) [21].…”

“…The Safety Monitor is a victimization survey that is the Dutch equivalent of the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) [21]. The Safety Monitor is used by Statistics Netherlands to measure victimization on a large scale and has previously been used to study victimization in patients with severe mental illness [22,23]. As yet, there are no psychometric properties available.…”

Risk of violence among patients in psychiatric treatment: results from a national census

“…Several studies have demonstrated a greater risk of violence among patients with severe mental illnesses compared with the general population (13,14). In general, there is a statistically significant but modest relationship between severe mental illness and violence and a stronger relationship between severe mental illness with cooccurring substance use disorder and violence (15).…”

Family Planning and the Scope of the “Reproductive Psychiatry” Curriculum

“…Only a small percentage of violent incidents are reported to health care clinicians or law enforcement agencies [24] and sexual violence can also go undetected in mental health services [25]. Patients with major mental disorders are at an elevated risk of becoming victims of violence, including sexual violence [26,27]. Thus, in one survey on formal training in women's issues in psychiatry, most responding programs offered a course on women and violence, including domestic violence [28].…”