May 16, 2012

expert reaction to recent stories of violent crimes involving perpetrators with mental illness

Following a number of stories of horrific attacks in which the perpetrator has a mental illness, and with the danger that these stories could feed into the myth that mental illness is equivalent to violence, the SMC sent out quotes from mental health professionals.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

“Homicides committed by people with mental health problems are extremely rare, and have been decreasing over the last few decades. Of the 500-600 homicides each year in England and Wales, the overwhelming majority are committed by people do not have a mental health diagnosis or symptoms of a mental health problem. When you consider that 1.2 million people use specialist mental health services every year, this shows how exceptional these tragic incidents are.

“We also know that people with serious mental illness are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than the perpetrator, with one study finding that more than one in four people with a severe mental illness had been a victim of crime in one year.”

Paul Jenkins, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness, said:

“When talking about violence and severe mental illness, it’s important to remember that these incidents are extremely rare. Violence is not a symptom of mental illness and those affected are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators.”

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive, Mental health Foundation, said:

“Evidence shows that people with serious mental illness are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than the perpetrator.

“Although research suggests that there are factors that may increase risks of violence – such as co-occurring substance use, or not being engaged in treatment – people living with mental illness are 10 times more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.”