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Emily Moser
Doctor Dietel-McLaughlin
Community Based Writing and Rhetoric
14 November 2011
It`s All in Your Head: Mental Illness and Violence
Edgar Allen Poe, Sheryl Crowe, and Isaac Newton. A poet, a singer, and a scientist.
Three seemingly quite diIIerent people are connected by one common link: mental illness. Poe
and Newton suIIered Irom bipolar disorder, while Crowe is aIIlicted with depression (People
with Mental Illness Enrich Our Lives). These people are well known and have made signiIicant
contributions to society, but it is not common knowledge that they suIIer Irom a mental illness.
When one thinks oI mental illness, usually the Iirst image that comes to mind is a dysIunctional
lunatic. It is aIIects the psyche oI many people, but what exactly is a mental illness? The DSM-
IV, a diagnostic tool created by the American Psychiatric Association, deIines mental illness as
'signiIicant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that
is associated with present distress (e.g., a painIul symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one
or more important areas oI Iunctioning) or with a signiIicantly increased risk oI suIIering death,
pain, disability, or an important loss oI Ireedom. In addition, this syndrome or pattern must not
be merely an expectable and culturally sanctioned response to a particular event, Ior example, the
death oI a loved one. Whatever the original cause, it must currently be considered a
maniIestation oI a behavioral, psychological, or biological dysIunction in the individual. (xxi-
xxii). An important note also made is that deviant behavior alone is not enough Ior a diagnosis;
the deviant behavior must result Irom a dysIunction.
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Mental illness is more common than one might Iirst assume. According to current
research, about 20 percent oI the adult U.S. population are aIIected by mental disorders. A
subgroup oI 5.4 percent oI the population are considered severely mentally ill (Foxx). For one to
be considered to have a severe mental illness, the illness must interIere with the person`s social
Iunctioning in some serious way, such as not being able to hold down a job or have meaningIul
relationships with others. Most persons suIIering Irom mental illness are not considered severely
mentally ill and are able to Iind eIIective treatment methods. There is no exact known or agreed
upon cause Ior mental illness, but it is speculated that genetic predisposition combined with
some kind oI environmental trigger could be a cause. Research has Iound a strong correlation
between abuse or neglect in the developmental years oI children and the diagnosis oI a mental
illness later in liIe (Gibbon, Ferriter, Duggan).
Regardless oI what the cause may be, there is hope Ior those aIIected by mental disorders
to Iind eIIective treatment. Combinations oI therapy and medication can signiIicantly increase
the quality oI liIe oI the mentally ill and help them to overcome the challenges that come with
living with a mental illness. Although many people are able to live normal lives and Iunction
well in society, the public perceives the mentally ill to be more violent than the average person.
A person with a mental illness has the likelihood oI 8.9 percent to commit some sort oI violent
crime, while the general population is about 5 percent likely (Marzuk). There is only a small
diIIerence in the rates, and much oI the diIIerence can be attributed to outside Iactors. The
public may make this perception about the mentally ill because oI what they hear Irom the
media, an ignorance to socioeconomic Iactors more strongly linked to violence, and
misconceptions about the eIIectiveness oI treatments. To contrast the misperception, the reality
is that the mentally ill are more likely to be victims oI violence.
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There is a wide misperception that the mentally ill are more likely to commit violent
crimes than the regular population. According to a 2006 study written about in the Harvard
Mental Health letter, '60 oI Americans thought that people with schizophrenia were likely to
act violently toward someone else, while 32 thought that people with major depression were
likely to do so (Mental Illness and Violence). While it is true that there are cases where the
mentally ill commit violent crimes, there are only a small percentage more than people not
diagnosed with a mental disorder, and this discrepancy can be accounted Ior by outside Iactors
such as substance abuse, and genetics.
In Iact, the mentally ill are more likely to be the victims oI crime than the perpetrators.
According to Iindings based on the National Crime Victimization Survey, persons with a mental
disability were 16.8 likely to be victims oI serious violent crimes, while a person without
mental disabilities had a likelihood oI 5.2. The crimes included rape and sexual assault,
robbery, and aggravated assault in the study (Harrell). One can conclude Irom this that the
mentally ill are about three times more likely to be victims oI violent crime than the general
population. It is clear that the misperception that the mentally ill are more likely to commit
violent crime needs to be set straight. Victimization oI the mentally ill can worsen existing
symptoms due to added stress, anxiety, and depression resulting Irom the abuse they are
subjected to. Also, having the knowledge that the mentally ill are more likely to be victims can
help to support the programs that help with abuse prevention. Options to expand upon
prevention could include more close work between mental health agencies and the police, or
bettering intervention programs already in existence. Since many instances oI abuse occur in the
home, identiIying these situations and creating a saIer environment Ior them as quickly as
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possible would be extremely beneIicial Ior reasons mentioned beIore, such as preventing the
worsening oI symptoms in the patients.
Where does this misperception that the mentally ill are more likely to commit violent
crime come Irom? One source could be Irom the media. People are greatly inIluenced by the
things they see on the news and read in the paper; it`s hard not to be bombarded with many
sources oI inIormation screaming at us with the same headlines that can stick around Ior weeks
on end. Without research beyond what is laid out directly in Iront oI us, what else would our
opinions be based on? A Iairly recent example is the Columbine High School shooting. On
April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed twelve oI their classmates as well as one
teacher beIore committing suicide at their school in Colorado. The event shocked the nation;
how could two boys commit such a random, malicious attack on their peers? Fear was struck
into many. There needed to be an explanation Ior their actions. One oI the shooters, Eric, had
been arrested Ior breaking into a van and been asked by the court to seek mental help prior to the
shooting. It was Iound that Eric was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and took
medication to help with this diagnosis. During his liIe he was considered mentally ill, but
contradictory to this, 'That diagnosis was disputed by FBI proIiler Supervisory Special Agent
Dwayne Fuselier, the FBI`s lead Columbine investigator and a clinical psychologist, who
diagnosed Harris as a psychopath, which is a behavioral disorder (Larkin). Regardless oI what
the exact diagnosis oI Eric should have been, he had mental problems at the time oI the shooting
that couldn`t be ignored, and the public was aware oI this.
What should be taken away Irom this example is not the Iact that the boys involved in the
shooting were mentally ill, but the Iact that this was such a highly publicized event. For weeks it
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was plastered to the Iront pages, and people talked about it nonstop. It was discussed in a study
on the link between crime, violence, and mental illness that,
The public are no less accustomed to 'experiencing' violence among the mentally
ill, although these experiences are mostly vicarious, through movie depictions oI
crazed killers or real liIe dramas played out with disturbing Irequency on the
nightly news. Indeed, the global reach oI news ensures that the viewing public
will have a steady diet oI real-liIe violence linked to mental illness. The public
most Iear violence that is random, senseless, and unpredictable and they associate
this with mental illness. Indeed, they are more reassured to know that someone
was stabbed to death in a robbery, then stabbed to death by a psychotic man.
(Marzuk).
Part oI our reaction Iormation to cope with the violence we see is to Iind something to blame. As
mentioned beIore, it`s much easier to blame something like mental illness to be the cause oI a
crime than to accept the Iact that a crime was committed randomly. Because oI this inIormation
being drilled into the public`s minds, stories such as these are the Iirst ones that come to mind
when mental illness or violence is thought oI. When all that is seen are the highly publicized
acts oI violence committed by people with mental illness, it`s no wonder that the public`s
perception is so skewed.
There are some common misperceptions about mental illness that indirectly attribute to
the misperception that the mentally ill are more violent than those who are not mentally ill.
Those who know less about mental illness are more likely to be IearIul oI the mentally ill
because they lack truthIul knowledge to help them overcome this stigma. In a study, nurses who
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worked with the mentally ill were more likely to have positive opinions oI the mentally ill than
other controlled populations (Hamaideh, Shaher, Mudallal). Improving knowledge on mental
illness can help reduce the misperceptions. One example oI a myth about mental illness is that it
is not a real illness; they are personality Ilaws that can be Iixed with determination or just gotten
rid oI. Dr. Barbara Gracious, a proIessor oI psychiatry and pediatrics at a University, counters
this Iallacy by explaining that "People are aIraid oI admitting a need or weakness Ior something
that they've been told they should be able to Iix on their own or control on their own. But many
mental health disorders have biological causes, and willpower is not enough to make them
disappear (Graham-Bailey). II a disorder is physiological, there is no way that a person can just
shake it oII because they want to. It is an intrinsic piece oI who they are, like diabetes.
Additionally, the public misperceive how people with mental illness are in reality. Most
will Iirst think oI a person talking to themselves, hearing voices, and acting upon delusions oI
grandeur. Some mental illnesses do have such outward symptoms, but many symptoms oI those
aIIlicted by mental illness are not so easily perceived. An example that is pertinent is oI those
with depression, 'the Ieelings oI extreme guilt, rejection, and worthlessness characteristic oI
depression are much less obvious (Graham-Bailey). These symptoms are not likely to be
immediately perceived as symptoms mentioned beIore, thereIore one would not immediately
jump to the conclusion that a person with depression had a mental illness. Also, these symptoms
can Ily under the radar more easily because they are not directly associated with mental illness.
These easily characteristics could be seen in someone who is simply having a bad day. These
misperceptions oI how the mentally ill actually act in reality and whether or not it is a
physiological problem contribute to the misunderstanding that the mentally ill are more violent.
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A contribution to the misconception that the mentally ill are more likely to be the
perpetrators oI violent crime is the ignorance oI other Iactors unrelated to mental illness that are
more closely related to violence. Some oI these Iactors include socioeconomic background and
and the abuse oI substances. Substance abuse, which is a harmIul pattern oI using medicine in
ways that it is not intended to be used or the use oI illegal drugs, contributes greatly to rises in
crime rates oI the mentally ill. In the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, it was Iound
that '31 oI people who had both a substance abuse disorder and a psychiatric disorder (a 'dual
diagnosis) committed at least one act oI violence in a year, compared with 18 oI people with a
psychiatric disorder alone. (Mental Illness and Violence). A dual diagnosis is when substance
abuse is paired with the diagnosis oI some other mental illness. Drugs do not contribute to a
more stable mental state, oIten disturbing a person`s emotional state, removing inhibitions, and
impairing judgment as well as exaggerating already existing symptoms such as paranoia and
hostility making Ior a perIect storm Ior violent crime. Another Iactor is that those who abuse
substances are not as likely to regularly stick with their treatments oI medication and therapy,
again only worsening their symptoms.
Some may argue that substance abuse itselI is a mental illness, so it is not valid to argue
that substance abuse is an outside Iactor that aIIects the violent nature oI the mentally ill. It is
true, those who are mentally ill who receive a dual diagnosis are more likely than patients who
do not to commit violent crimes. Comparatively, it can be argued that any person who is under
the inIluence oI a substance is at a higher risk to become violent. In an analysis in the Harvard
Mental Health Letter, it was discussed that 'One theory is that alcohol and drug abuse can trigger
violent behavior in people with or without psychiatric disorders because these substances
simultaneously impair judgment, change a person's emotional equilibrium, and remove cognitive
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inhibitions. In people with psychiatric disorders, substance abuse may exacerbate symptoms such
as paranoia, grandiosity, or hostility (Mental Illness and Violence). II a person who was not
mentally ill committed a crime under the inIluence oI a substance, although no one would justiIy
the action, much oI the blame or the cause oI the incident would be attributed to the substance. It
is the same Ior the mentally ill; many who would generally not be violent may become violent
when under the inIluence oI a substance. ThereIore it should be viewed as an outside Iactor
aIIecting violent nature, just as it would be Ior those not aIIlicted by mental illness.
In addition to substance abuse, genetics may also play a role in the rise in violence among
this population. Links have been Iound between genetics and violence regardless oI mental
illness, illustrated when bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were compared:
In separate studies, the investigators Iound that people with bipolar disorder or
schizophrenia were more likely-to a modest but statistically signiIicant degree-to
commit assaults or other violent crimes when compared with people in the general
population. DiIIerences in the rates oI violence narrowed, however, when the
researchers compared patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia with their
unaIIected siblings. (Mental Illness and Violence).
These Iindings show that genetics could be a cause Ior the rise in violence. II one did not think
this was plausible, then it could be considered that the Iindings oI this same study were not
attributed to genetics but the shared environment that the siblings were raised in. Factors such as
poverty, early exposure to violence, or abusive parenting could be to blame. In Iact, a diIIerent
study oI persons with schizophrenia or a personality disorder Iound that many would need
treatment with respect to their Iamily history, speciIically when they came Irom a home oI
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parents who were separated (Gibbon, Ferriter, Duggan). This study shows that how a person
with a mental disorder is raised aIIects the magnitude oI the mental illness later in liIe. While
the nature is predisposed, the nurture aIIects the outcome oI how signiIicant the mental illness is.
The public misconception that the mentally ill are signiIicantly more likely to commit
violent crimes than the normal population is a viewpoint that needs to be changed. The mentally
ill are actually more likely to be victims oI violent crime, and many oI the statistics showing that
the mentally ill are more violent can be broken down and attributed to other Iactors. The
misperception may begin with the extreme examples that are seen in the media, such as the
Columbine High School shooting. Also, the association between substance abuse and violence
should be separated Irom those who are diagnosed with mental illnesses and those who are
substance abusers. While it is true that the mentally ill do commit violent crime, it is wrong to
assume that all mentally ill persons are high risks and will be likely to become violent more so
than the general population. People without mental illnesses are nearly just as likely to commit
violent crimes, so there shouldn`t be such a large discrepancy in our views. We must change the
way we view mental illness because those aIIected are just as much people as those who are not
aIIected. As stated in the DSM-IV, 'A common misconception is that a classiIication oI mental
disorders classiIies people, when actually what are being classiIied are disorders that people
have (xxii).

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Works Cited
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual oI Mental Disorders: DSM-IV. Washington, D.C. : American
Psychiatric Association, 1994. xxi-xxii. Print.
Foxx, John. "Drug Abuse and Mental Illness." National Drug Intelligence Center. N.p., April
2004. Web. 1 Nov 2011. http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs7/7343/index.htm
Gibbon, Simon, Michael Ferriter, and Conor Duggan. "A Comparison OI The Family And
Childhood Backgrounds OI Hospitalised OIIenders With Schizophrenia Or Personality
Disorder." Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health 19.3 (2009): 207-218. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
Graham-Bailey, Marona. "No Shame, No Blame." Current Health 2 36.8 (2010): 18-21.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Hamaideh, Shaher H., and Rola Mudallal. "Attitudes OI Jordanian Nursing Students Towards
Mental Illness: The EIIect OI Teaching And Contact On Attitudes Change." College
Student Journal 43.2 (2009): 335-346. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Harrell, Ph.D., Erika. "Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2008-2010-Statistical Tables."
National Crime Victimization Survey. (2011): n. page. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdI/capd10st.pdI~.
Larkin, Ralph. Comprehending Columbine. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2007.
Marzuk P. Violence, crime, and mental illness. How strong a link? Arch Gen Psychiatry.
1996;53:481486.
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"Mental illness and violence." Harvard Mental Health Letter. 27.7 (2011): 1-3. Web. 27 Oct.
2011.
http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.nd.edu/ehost/pdIviewer/pdIviewer?siddcd3bI3
7-9aI3-4040-bee0-42I1662bb52csessionmgr114&vid5&hid111~.
"People with Mental Illness Enrich Our Lives." InIormation Helpline. National Alliance on
Mental Illness, 2011. Web. 10 Nov 2011.
http://www.nami.org/Template.cIm?SectionHelpline1&template/ContentManagemen
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