Mental Health and Violence Essay Example
Are people with mental illness more violent than the rest of the population?
If you only listen to the media, you are sure to answer, “Yes”.
However, most of us know that the media is not the most reliable source of information.
In fact, the media has a Tendency to bend the facts, plucking out stories and statistics that colour the truth in order to popularize their Medium.
Most people who have mental health problems experience symptoms, and gradually recover. They may pick Up where they left off, or head in a new direction in life. Everybody’s experience of mental ill health is Different and everybody’s recovery is therefore individual. For a minority of people, the symptoms of their mental health problem might lead them to act strangely or Breach the peace. A still smaller minority of these may become a risk to themselves, the people around Them or the public.
It is misleading for the media to imply that people with mental health problems are likely to be dangerous, or To focus coverage of mental illness on rare tragedies. Similarly, suggesting that violent or criminal behaviour Is a symptom of mental health is inaccurate, and fuels the fear and misunderstanding that lead to stigma. Open discussion of all issues around mental health promotes understanding and reduces stigma.
The relationship between mental illness and crime is complex and there are a number of confounding factors Which can cloud the evidence:
1. the mentally ill tend to drop in social economic status, which means that they May live in more violent communities:
2. Psychiatric categories of mental illness tend to involve violence in their Definition, consequently the mentally ill are violent because they are required if they are so categorised and:
3. The public may be more alarmed by a given level of violent behaviour if that person shows signs of mental Illness. As a consequence the violence of the mentally ill may more readily reported to the police
(Ref forensic and
If you only listen to the media, you are sure to answer, “Yes”.
However, most of us know that the media is not the most reliable source of information.
In fact, the media has a Tendency to bend the facts, plucking out stories and statistics that colour the truth in order to popularize their Medium.
Most people who have mental health problems experience symptoms, and gradually recover. They may pick Up where they left off, or head in a new direction in life. Everybody’s experience of mental ill health is Different and everybody’s recovery is therefore individual. For a minority of people, the symptoms of their mental health problem might lead them to act strangely or Breach the peace. A still smaller minority of these may become a risk to themselves, the people around Them or the public.
It is misleading for the media to imply that people with mental health problems are likely to be dangerous, or To focus coverage of mental illness on rare tragedies. Similarly, suggesting that violent or criminal behaviour Is a symptom of mental health is inaccurate, and fuels the fear and misunderstanding that lead to stigma. Open discussion of all issues around mental health promotes understanding and reduces stigma.
The relationship between mental illness and crime is complex and there are a number of confounding factors Which can cloud the evidence:
1. the mentally ill tend to drop in social economic status, which means that they May live in more violent communities:
2. Psychiatric categories of mental illness tend to involve violence in their Definition, consequently the mentally ill are violent because they are required if they are so categorised and:
3. The public may be more alarmed by a given level of violent behaviour if that person shows signs of mental Illness. As a consequence the violence of the mentally ill may more readily reported to the police
(Ref forensic and