Often mental illness is a preexisting factor that is directly responsible for the examined criminal behaviors. It is very likely, based on clinical experience, that mentally ill patients frequently encounter barriers to treatment, and that this inadequate treatment of their disorders results in patients being arrested for both violent and nonviolent crimes. Often such charges are based on behaviors that are direct manifestations of the patients’ then untreated symptoms, such as paranoia leading to trespassing or grandiosity resulting in breaking and entering. Experience also suggests that victims of crimes by mentally ill individuals are often known to the patient, unlike nonpsychiatrically ill criminals who may or may not violate strangers.
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Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis .
Mental illness may increase the likelihood of committing violence in some individuals, but only a small part of the violence in society can be ascribed to mental health patients. Overall, those psychiatric patients who are violent have rates of repeated aggression somewhere between the general population and a criminal
Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis .
Mental illness may increase the likelihood of committing violence in some individuals, but only a small part of the violence in society can be ascribed to mental health patients. Overall, those psychiatric patients who are violent have rates of repeated aggression somewhere between the general population and a criminal