February 4, 2020

the economic cost of violence in mental illness

A new study in The Lancet Public Health provides the first estimate of the economic cost of violence perpetrated by those with severe mental illness in the UK.  While these cases make up a small minority of violent crime in the UK, the economic benefit of effective treatment and interventions – in addition to the well documented benefit to the individual and society – may be significant. Journalists came to the SMC to hear more about this study and its findings, and also more generally how this approach can be used to better inform policy and treatment for those suffering from mental illness.

Speakers included:

Prof Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Oxford

Prof Apostolos Tsiachristas, Senior Researcher at the Health Economics Research Centre (HERC), University of Oxford.

Prof Pamela Taylor, Chair in Psychiatry, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University