Does Mental Illness Cause Violence?
A critical analysis of the literature reveals that as yet, there is no compelling scientific evidence to suggest that mental illness causes violence. Studies of violence among the treated mentally ill population demonstrate that this population does have higher levels of criminality and violent criminality compared to the general population, and a high incidence of violence while in hospital. Similarly, studies of mental illness among incarcerated offenders have shown a high prevalence of serious mental disorders and substance abuse disorders. However, despite such clear demonstrations, these findings do not support the conclusion that mental illness causes violence for the following methodological reasons: • It is not always clear how comparisons across study groups should be adjusted to take account of factors such as age, sex, socio-economic status, prior arrests, or prior institutionalizations. For example, many authors have used violent criminality as a measure of violence. Howeve
