How often and how consistently do symptoms directly precede criminal behavior among offenders with mental illness?

Peterson, Jillian K.; Skeem, Jennifer L.; Kennealy, Patrick J.; Bray, Beth; Zvonkovic, Andrea

doi:10.1037/lhb0000075

Cited by 185 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 60 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…Overall, the themes uncovered in this study are consistent with earlier findings that suggest that most mentally ill offenders are offending for reasons unrelated to their mental illness (Bonta, Blais, & Wilson, 2014;Peterson et al, 2010;Peterson et al, 2014;Skeem, Kennealy, Monahan, Peterson, & Appelbaum, 2016). The majority of respondents believed that their psychiatric symptoms did not play a direct role in their decision to engage in illegal activity, even during periods when they were actively experiencing those symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“That’s Just the Tip of It Because It Goes Deeper Than That”: A Qualitative Exploration Into the Role of Mental Illness in Offending Onset and Subsequent Offending Behavior

Calhoun

2016

Criminal Justice Policy Review

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There continues to be considerable debate regarding the most effective ways to reduce the number of mentally ill offenders in the adult criminal justice system. What is often missing from this national discussion is an examination of the factors associated with their initial involvement in illegal activities. This qualitative study assesses the selfperceived role that psychiatric symptoms had in the onset and continued offending of a sample of 28 parolees with mental illness. The findings showed that psychiatric symptoms rarely played a direct role in the onset and continued offending in this sample. Furthermore, the majority of the sample started offending prior to the age of 18, highlighting the need to devote more resources toward delivering evidencebased interventions to youth at risk of becoming involved in a criminal lifestyle as one strategy for reducing the number of mentally ill who become involved in the adult criminal justice system.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“That’s Just the Tip of It Because It Goes Deeper Than That”: A Qualitative Exploration Into the Role of Mental Illness in Offending Onset and Subsequent Offending Behavior

Calhoun

2016

Criminal Justice Policy Review

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“…Most violent incidents involving individuals with a mental illness involve either a family member or a close acquaintance (Newhill et al 1995, Steadman et al 1998) and are usually embedded in a history of tumultuous encounters. Moreover, examination of crimes involving individuals with mental illness indicate that less than 20% of them are directly preceded by exacerbated symptoms of the illness (Peterson et al 2014). It is rare that the presence of a mental illness is a dispositive explanation for an act of violence (Monahan & Steadman 2012, Skeem et al 2016).…”

Section: Mental Illness Violence and Gun Violencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Link Between Mental Illness and Firearm Violence: Implications for Social Policy and Clinical Practice

Rozel

Mulvey

2017

Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol.

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The United States has substantially higher levels of firearm violence than most other developed countries. Firearm violence is a significant and preventable public health crisis. Mental illness is a weak risk factor for violence despite popular misconceptions reflected in the media and policy. That said, mental health professionals play a critical role in assessing their patients for violence risk, counseling about firearm safety, and guiding the creation of rational and evidence-based public policy that can be effective in mitigating violence risk without unnecessarily stigmatizing people with mental illness. This article summarizes existing evidence about the interplay among mental illness, violence, and firearms, with particular attention paid to the role of active symptoms, addiction, victimization, and psychosocial risk factors. The social and legal context of firearm ownership is discussed as a preface to exploring practical, evidence-driven, and behaviorally informed policy recommendations for mitigating firearm violence risk.

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“…People with schizophrenia have been described as being four times more likely to be imprisoned than the general population, although they only represent 5% of violent crimes (27). In a study by Peterson et al (38) of 143 delinquents with mental disorders, the frequency and consistency of the symptoms that might induce criminal behavior were examined. Of the 429 violent crimes considered, 4% were associated with psychosis and 10% with bipolar disorder, leading to the conclusion that few criminal acts were directly motivated by symptoms of illness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Violent Offences, Mental Disorder and Substance-use Disorders

Vicens¹,

Dueñas²,

Tort³

2016

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Introduction: The relationship between violent offences, mental disorder and substance-use disorders has been widely analyzed but has produced contradictory results. Studies examining this relationship in prison populations are scarce. Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between violent crime, substance-use disorders and mental disorder. Method: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, epidemiological study of 707 male prisoners. Socio-demographic, clinical and penal data were collected by trained interviewers. Penal data were confirmed using penitentiary records. The clinical version of the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID 1) for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders was used for diagnosis of Axis I mental disorders (including substance-use disorders). Inmates who have lifetime substance-use disorders were classified by type and number of substances used. We considered violent offences: homicide and attempted homicide, aggravated assault, common assault, robbery, threatening behavior, harassment, arson and any sexual offence. Results: Violent offences in inmates who used drugs (n=370) were more prevalent than in inmates who did not (84.6% vs.15,3%, p<0.0001).The risk of committing a violent crime is double for people using a substance compared to those who do not and those who are not repeat offenders (OR= 2.03 CI 95%: 1.08-3.78). This risk increases when considering repeat offenders and those who use more than one substance . The presence of a mental disorder turns out not to be significant (OR= 1.38 CI 95%: 0.98-1.95). Conclusions: In our study, the greatest risk factors for committing a violent offence were being a re-offender and using more than one substance. Mental disorder was not found to be a risk factor for violent offences.

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How often and how consistently do symptoms directly precede criminal behavior among offenders with mental illness?

Cited by 185 publications

References 60 publications

“That’s Just the Tip of It Because It Goes Deeper Than That”: A Qualitative Exploration Into the Role of Mental Illness in Offending Onset and Subsequent Offending Behavior

“That’s Just the Tip of It Because It Goes Deeper Than That”: A Qualitative Exploration Into the Role of Mental Illness in Offending Onset and Subsequent Offending Behavior

The Link Between Mental Illness and Firearm Violence: Implications for Social Policy and Clinical Practice

Violent Offences, Mental Disorder and Substance-use Disorders

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