Mental Illness And Crime Essay
The relationship between mental illness and crime has been questioned for quite relatively a long period of time, and during the last few decades various studies about this issue have been carried out by a number of scientists who have conducted a number of tests and studies which resulted in a range of different outcomes. People have always feared the violence of the mentally disordered, but is there really a relation between criminality and mental illness?
Among the disorders which are most commonly associated with crime, we can find: schizophrenia, major depressions, alexithymia, bipolar disorder and antisocial personality disorder (APD) or as it is better known, psychopathy.
Schizophrenia
As mentioned above schizophrenia is one of the mental disorders commonly associated with crime and it could easily be said to be the mental illness given …show more content…
This is because the court requires that the defendant must be able to understand the accusations being brought against him and be able to plead guilty or not guilty.
Different criminal justice systems have different standards to to assess incompetence. Overall, however, competence is only questioned in 10 percent of the cases and only confirmed in 25-30 percent of those cases. The issue of someone not being fit for trial can be raised at any time during trial process, but is usually raised immediately after the arrest. The court will then proceed to an assessment of the person’s mental health, usually carried out by a psychiatrist or psychologist.
If the defendant is found to be incompetent for trial, medical care will be ordered. This medical care is not given to cure him, but only to get him to a competent state where he is fit to stand for trial.
A controversial issue that arises is if a person who is being treated by psychotropic drugs can be given a fair trial since they can change a person’s appearance and
Among the disorders which are most commonly associated with crime, we can find: schizophrenia, major depressions, alexithymia, bipolar disorder and antisocial personality disorder (APD) or as it is better known, psychopathy.
Schizophrenia
As mentioned above schizophrenia is one of the mental disorders commonly associated with crime and it could easily be said to be the mental illness given …show more content…
This is because the court requires that the defendant must be able to understand the accusations being brought against him and be able to plead guilty or not guilty.
Different criminal justice systems have different standards to to assess incompetence. Overall, however, competence is only questioned in 10 percent of the cases and only confirmed in 25-30 percent of those cases. The issue of someone not being fit for trial can be raised at any time during trial process, but is usually raised immediately after the arrest. The court will then proceed to an assessment of the person’s mental health, usually carried out by a psychiatrist or psychologist.
If the defendant is found to be incompetent for trial, medical care will be ordered. This medical care is not given to cure him, but only to get him to a competent state where he is fit to stand for trial.
A controversial issue that arises is if a person who is being treated by psychotropic drugs can be given a fair trial since they can change a person’s appearance and