Are people with severe mental illness violent?

On 1st March 2010, the BBC aired a documentary which suggested a relationship between severe mental illness and violent offending. 

What are the facts?

Hands in the air. People on beach reaching upRecent inquiries into homicides found that: 

  • 10% of all people convicted of homicide have been in touch with mental health services over the previous 12 months
  • 6% of all people convicted for homicide experience symptoms of mental illness at the time of offence
  • 145 people are convicted of killing a stranger each year. 4% of these are committed by someone with a mental illness
  • A perpetrator who has a mental illness is more likely to kill someone they know than a stranger. About 50 homicides per year are committed by someone with a mental illness - 5 of these will be strangers.

Want to know more?

Read Rethink Mental Illness campaigner, Dolly Sen's blog responding to the BBC 2 documentary.

See Rethink's press release about the documentary here: Rethink comments on Julian Hendy's documentary

More facts and figures about violence

  • Almost half of the people using mental health services did not attend their last appointment before committing homicide. Only 1/4 of these were followed by up by services.
  • People who kill someone they do not know are more likely to misuse drugs or alcohol and less likely to have a mental illness.
  • Research shows that people with a mental illness are far more likely to commit a violent offence if they also misuse drugs or alcohol.
  • The rate of substance misuse is higher in people who have a mental illness. This is therefore a risk factor, but violence is NOT a symptom of mental illness.

If you are affected by issues raised in this programme you can contact:

SAMARITANS:
08457 90 90 90   e-mail: jo@samaritans.org Offers emotional support.Operating times: 24 hours.

RETHINK MENTAL ILLNESS: General Enquiries:  e-mail: info@rethink.org 0300 5000 927
Operating hours: Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5.30pm
National Information & Advice Service:  e-mail: advice@rethink.org 0300 5000 927 (option 1) Offers advice and information about severe mental illness
Operating hours: Monday – Friday 10am – 2pm

MENTAL HEALTH HELPLINES:
Check the listings on the Mental Health Helplines Partnership website to find national, regional and local helplines, specialising in mental health information and advice.

 

Further information