Study shows mentally ill four times more likely to be victims of violence

Meanwhile statistics for violence by mental ill at all-time low

By Ian Birch

A study published in the Lancet shows people with mental health difficulties are four times more likely to be the victims of violence than the general population.

The research, by Liverpool John Moores University and the World Health Organisation, reviewed and analysed a wide range of studies into rates of violence against disabled adults compared with non-disabled adults.

There were several factors which seemed to increase the risk of violence towards them:

  • Unemployment
  • Education exclusion
  • Assistance with daily living
  • Communication barriers
  • Stigma
  • Discrimination

The results of the study were the following statistics:

  • 24% of mentally ill adults had been subjected to some form of violence
  • 6% of adults with intellectual impairments had been subjected to violence
  • 3% of adults with any impairment had been subjected to violence.

 

However three studies indicated that mentally ill people were no more likely to have been physically attacked than non-mentally ill people.

The statistics are in contrast to the Oxford University/Swedish Karolinska Institute study into violence by people with mental illnesses which showed this to be at an all-time low.   Only 5.2% of violent crimes are committed by people with severe and enduring mental illnesses – alcohol and drug abuse are far more common factors in violent incidents reported to the police.

In my campaigning for Time to Change I have often cited this research, which you can read on Mental Healthy below:

http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/news/512-misconceptions-crime-and-mental-health-disorders.html

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