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Homicides by people with mental illness: myth and reality

463 citations0/0 files storedThe British Journal of Psychiatry

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Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending Psychiatric care and mental health services Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tragic and high profile killings by people with mental illness have been used to suggest that the community care model for mental health services has failed. AIMS: To consider whether such homicides have become more frequent as psychiatric services have changed. METHOD: Data were extracted from Home Office-generated criminal statistics for England and Wales between 1957 and 1995 and subjected to trends analysis. RESULTS: There was little fluctuation in numbers of people with a mental illness committing criminal homicide over the 38 years studied, and a 3% annual decline in their contribution to the official statistics. CONCLUSIONS: There are many reasons for improving the resources and quality of care for people with a mental disorder, but there is no evidence that it is anything but stigmatising to claim that their living in the community is a dangerous experiment that should be reversed. There appears to be some case for specially focused improvement of services for people with a personality disorder and/or substance misuse.

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1993Understanding and Preventing Violence 1990Violence and Psychiatric Disorder in the Community: Evidence From the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Surveys

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2004Reinstitutionalisation in mental health care: comparison of data on service provision from six European countries 2001Death by homicide, suicide, and other unnatural causes in people with mental illness: a population-based study 2012Labeling and Stigma 2024Violence and Mental Disorder 2000Community care and criminal offending in schizophrenia 2008Mental Health Care Institutions in Nine European Countries, 2002 to 2006 2003Reducing psychiatric stigma and discrimination 2004The Stereotype of Schizophrenia and Its Impact on Discrimination Against People With Schizophrenia: Results From a Representative Survey in Germany

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