People with mental illness often victims of crime
02 August, 2005
By Alison McCook Tue Aug 2,11:21 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than one-quarter of
people with severe mental illness say they were victims of a violent crime within the past year, giving them a more than 11-foldhigher risk than that seen in the general population,
according to new study findings.
Study author Dr. Linda A. Teplin of Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, noted that for people without
mental illness, being the victim of a crime can be very upsetting; the effect could be even more destabilizing for someone who has
a mental illness. "Imagine if you‘re already vulnerable," she said.
Teplin explained that people with mental illness are likely more vulnerable to crime than others because they often live
in poor communities with a higher crime rate, and because their illness may make them unable to make safe decisions, such
as avoiding an empty, dark street. "So many of the symptoms of mental illness can make you more vulnerable," she told
Reuters Health.
She added that many people are likely to be surprised by the findings, given the stereotype that people with
mental illness are dangerous, rather than at risk of being victims themselves.
As an illustration of this bias, Teplin and her colleagues found 13 times more research about people with mental
illness as perpetrators violent acts than as victims of violent acts. "We don‘t think about their vulnerability to
victimization, "she said in an interview.
However, research suggests that between 4 and 13 percent of people with mental illness perpetrate crimes, making them
much more likely to be the victim of a crime than its perpetrator, Teplin added.
As part of the study, the researchers interviewed 936people with severe mental illness who were being treated
at outpatient, day or residential facilities in Chicago.
They found that, within the previous 12 months, people with severe mental illness were several times more likely to
be victims of a number of crimes, including rape or sexual assault and property theft.
For instance, people with mental illnesses were 140 times more likely to report having things stolen from their
person. Often, what‘s stolen is relatively minor, but the incident can make people feel more anxious and vulnerable, which can
worsen their mental illness, the authors note in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
All told, they estimate that 3 million people with severe mental illness are victimized every year in the U.S. alone.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Leon Eisenberg of Harvard Medical School in Boston notes that this study may
actually underestimate the rate of violence against people with mental illness, since it did not include people who are so ill
they are unable to seek treatment, and they are likely at an even higher risk.
"Whether the true ratio for crimes of violence is 8 times or 12 times or 15 times that of the population rate, it
clearly constitutes an enormous burden superimposed onto the already high personal costs of severe mental illness," he writes.
Reported August 4, 2005
Severe Mental Illness Linked to Crime Victims
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- More than one-fourth of people with severe mental illness were victims of crime last year, according to a new study. That is 11-times the rate of the general population.
Doctors at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago administered the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to nearly 1,000 mental health patients. Researchers compared survey results to data from more than 30,000 participants in the annual NCVS conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
"Among persons with mental disorders, victimization can exacerbate existing disorders, increase the likelihood of service use and hospitalization, and substantially diminish quality of life," study authors say. "Moreover, victimization increases the likelihood of re-victimization and is associated with perception of violence among persons with [severe mental illness]."
Research shows severe mental illness (SMI) patients are at high risk of becoming victims of
crime because symptoms of SMI compromise one's ability to perceive risks and protect himself. Symptoms associated with severe mental illness include impaired reality testing, disorganized thought processes, impulsivity, and poor planning or problem solving.
Study authors report, "Among persons with SMI, violent victimization is far more prevalent than perpetration of violence and must be addressed the same way as our health disparities are addressed: by using all available tools and resources to reduce the risks and consequences of this public health problem."
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com http://www.ivanhoe.com
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