Solutions & Problems

If you are talking about the 40–50% of Americans who may have a "diagnosable mental disorder" during their lifetime (18% annually), then 'no', the mentally ill are not more violent than others.

If you are talking about the 4% of Americans with the most serious mental illnesses that affect daily functioning — primarily schizophrenia and treatment-resistant bipolar disorder, then 'no', the mentally ill are not more violent than others.

If you are talking about the subset of the 4% group who go off treatment that has previously prevented them from being psychotic, hospitalized, or violent, then 'yes' the mentally ill are more violent than others. This higher than normal rate of violence increases even more when these groups abuse substances.

When people ask, "Are the mentally ill more violent", they are usually asking about this group, the most seriously mentally ill who are not in treatment.

What can make people with serious mental illness become violent?

Violence is almost always associated with going off treatment and becoming delusional or psychotic. There are many reasons people with serious mental illness go off treatment:

• The ability to regulate behavior is compromised because the brain is the organ affected.
• Anosognosia: Up to 50% of people with schizophrenia and many with bipolar lack insight — they are so sick they don't know they are sick.
• Costs/Side Effects: Some refuse treatment because of costs, side effects, lack of support, etc.
• Civil Liberties: A misunderstanding of civil liberties leads us to protect the right of the psychotic to 'die with their rights on' rather than mandating violence-preventing treatments.
• Reaction to hallucinations and delusions.
• Misplaced Funding: Most money spent goes to improving mental 'health' not treating mental "illness".