Mental Health and Crime - Research Paper Example

? Mental Health and Crime There are various aspects of health- physical health, social health, psychological health, religious health and mental health. All these aspects of health and any alteration from the normal affect the normal functioning of the body. Mental illness remains the most feared condition among all the aspects of health disturbance. Mention the words “mental illness” and it sends shivers down the spines of many people. This is because mental health is associated with very many negative and unfortunate tendencies. For example, there is this widespread belief that mental illness is associated with criminal tendencies and violence. Whether this is a reality or a misnomer is not really clear. This paper analyses whether there exists any relationship between mental illness and crime. The paper also discusses the treatment options available for those that are criminally mentally ill. However, before discussing that, I will give a brief insight into mental illness. Mental illness Mental health problems (mental illness) refer to conditions that compromise the normal functioning of a person’s cognitive (brain) activities. It includes disturbances on aspects like mood, conduct and sanity. There are many types of mental illness, and these include; depression, anxiety, obsessive –compulsive disorder, phobias, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia (Gunn, 1977). Depression is a condition that lowers one’s mood making a person feels hopeless, unmotivated and worthless. This may also affect normal daily activities like sleep, libido and appetite. Anxiety refers to unrealistic worries concerning normal daily activities. This may affect one physically and cause many symptoms. Phobias on the other hand refer to unrealistic or exaggerated sensing of danger concerning various situations or objects. Bipolar disorders refer to the condition when one has alterations in mood, ranging from mania to depression. Schizophrenia is complicated since it has many symptoms ranging from hallucinations to delusions. However, patients suffering from these conditions normally have overlapping symptoms, hence, a patient with anxiety may have phobias, and vice versa. Mental illness and crime Various statistics have shown that there is a strong link between mental illness and crime. According to Peter Marzuk, editor of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, many studies have concluded that there is a indeed a strong association between mental illness and crime. He asserts that over the past ten years, evidence linking mental health and crime and violence has increased remarkably, and we cannot shy away from this issue. One study documented in the journal was conducted on a population of 324, 401 in Denmark. The researchers, Hodgins et al, documented psychiatric admissions up to the time when they were aged 43. Hodgins et al compared criminal records of people with a history of psychiatric illness with records of people who did not have this history. It was widely established that people with a history of psychiatric illness would be convicted of any criminal offense between 3 times to eleven times more than those with no past psychiatric illness, and this was found to be true for either sexes. These findings also concur with studies carried out in North America. There was a high incidence of mental disorders among incarcerated offenders. The same can be said of a Scandinavian study by Marku Erronen who conducted a psychiatric evaluation on 693 murders in Finland. They discovered that schizophrenia enhanced the incidence of homicidal violence 8 times in men and 6.5 times in women. These are just a few studies researching on mental illness and crime. There are many studies whose findings mirror this, and it is, therefore, evident that mental illness and crime are directly linked. The criminal justice system and mental health have for many years been intertwined (Buchanan, 2002). Another important statistic is that people with mental illnesses in prisons are about 5 times than those people derived from the general population. However, there are those who hold claim to the fact that the assertion that mental illness and crime are linked is misplaced and prejudicial. For example, for 13 years, a group of British scientists examined this phenomenon. Using data from Sweden, they computed the results in 2006 and it was found that of all the murders and attempted murders, 18% are conducted by people with mental illnesses. The researchers found out that, of all the crimes (245 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants), 2.4 were attributable to patients with mental illness. This translates to 5.2% of all the crimes. From this study, the researchers explained that the common association between mental illness and crime is a misconception which needs to be alleviated. Those who hold on to this belief assert that many people have branded people with mental illnesses as the biggest contributors of crime in society. These people argue that being mentally ill does not impart violence into a person. It is, therefore, evident that the debate of mental health and violence is really controversial and has caused more rifts than mend any solutions to the problems. It is also difficult to agree universally about this. What is clear is that mental health and crime are intertwined, but what is unclear is whether the proportion of mentally ill people committing crime is lower or higher than the general population. Treatment options Studies that reveal an enhanced rate of crime among patients with mental illness should be used to assist this population instead of stigmatizing them. Such data needs to be used in a constructive manner so that appropriate, adequate and humane care is given to the afflicted and to the society as a whole. It is necessary that these people access noteworthy treatment. Moreover, the health care system needs to identify violent behavior among these patients early so that early interventions are done. There are many treatment options for the criminally mentally ill. These treatment options cannot be used singly as they exhibit noteworthy efficacy when used in combination. The options include chemotherapy, psychotherapy, group therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, behavior modification, hypnotherapy, creative therapies, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and vagal nerve stimulation. Chemotherapy (drug therapy) is one of the most effective and widespread treatment interventions for people with these disorders. These drugs are classified into various groups depending on the condition that they treat. They include antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs and anxiolytics. These drugs need to be prescribed by a qualified medical doctor or psychiatrist. ECT is effective in the treatment of severe depression. Psychotherapy also called “talk therapy” involves talking to the sick person in a relaxed atmosphere so that they have insight and emotional awareness about their situation. This changes the attitude of the person and enables them to lead a better life. Community support programs are also important treatment options especially when the affected has recurrent symptoms. When the community accepts an individual for their condition, it is helpful to the individual as they do not live in seclusion, and it speeds up their recovery process. With an early and proper diagnosis, the prognosis of mental illness is greatly improved, and they may even recover fully. Even though these conditions are severe, prompt treatment enables these people to lead productive lives. In conclusion, in is clear that having a mental illness is not a condemnation to lead a miserable and secluded life. People with mental illnesses need to be embraced in society and prompt treatment needs to be carried out in these individuals. The common perception that mental illness intertwines with criminal activities is stigmatizing and prejudicial. Instead of thinking about such things, people should focus more on treating and embracing these people in society. References Hodgins S. Mental disorder, intellectual deficiency, and crime. Evidence from a birth cohort. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992; 49:476–483. Walsh E. Buchanan A. Fahy T. Violence and schizophrenia: examining the evidence. Br J Psychiatry. 2002; 180:490–49 Gunn J. Criminal behaviour and mental disorder. Br J Psychiatry. 1977;130:317–329. Read More