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According to recent research and the latest medical study certain violence risk factors associated with mental illness can be predicted. The researchers identified 3 specific factors that could up the odds of violent behavior by an individual who has been diagnosed with mental illness. These risk factors are the use of alcohol, being the victim of violence and behavior that is violent, and engaging in violent behavior. Mental health professionals should pay close attention to these three risk factors in order to predict which mentally ill patients may become violent in the future. Early intervention by mental health professionals could minimize or even eliminate the risk of violence in this class of patients. The recent study utilized a database with information on more than 4,400 cases and patients who were diagnosed with some form of mental illness, and these mental disorders included bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression.
North Carolina State University associate professor of psychology Dr. Sarah Desmarais was one of the co-authors on the research study paper concerning the link between violence risk factors and mental illness. According to Desmarais “Our earlier work found that adults with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators —and that is especially relevant to this new study. One of the new findings is that people with mental illness who have been victims of violence in the past six months are more likely to engage in future violent behavior themselves. We found that these risk factors were predictive even when we accounted for age, sex, race, mental illness diagnosis and other clinical characteristics. This is useful information for anyone working in a clinical setting. But it also highlights the importance of creating policies that can help protect people with mental illness from being victimized. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it makes for safer communities.”
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With more states, countries, and government entities giving the go ahead for medical or even recreational marijuana use many questions have been raised about this drug that need to be answered. There is a well known and identified link between substance abuse and mental illness. Statistics show that people who have risk factors for schizophrenia and other psychotic forms of mental illness may be adversely affected by marijuana use, and this drug can even contribute to the development of psychosis in individuals who are already prone to certain types of mental disorders including schizophrenia. Mental health experts warn that marijuana use can mask or even aggravate the symptoms of mental illness and make an accurate diagnosis much harder to make. Using marijuana can cause depression, anxiety, and many other mental disorders to become worse over time and interfere with treatment.
There have been no studies to show that marijuana itself is responsible for the initial development of mental illness, but many studies have shown that this drug can have a negative impact on those who are already at risk or predisposed towards schizophrenia and other serious forms of mental illness. Individuals who have certain mental health disorders or who have close family members with serious mental illness are at a much higher risk of developing psychosis and other very serious symptoms when marijuana is used because of how the brain functions with these mental disorders. Using the drug can make it difficult or even impossible for treatment professionals to determine which symptoms are drug related and which ones are a result of the mental illness.
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The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, with celebrations and fun parties to commemorate this time of year. For some with mental illness nothing could be further from the truth and the holidays may be an agonizing time that offers little joy or happiness. These individuals want to be happy and share in the festivities but they are not able for a variety of reasons. The Christmas season can be a time of loneliness and depression for individuals who have one or more mental disorders, and this can make their condition worse instead of bring joy and peace. A common misconception is that these individuals should simply snap out of it but this is not actually possible. Mental illness is as real as physical illness and disease. You wouldn’t tell someone with pneumonia to simply suck it up and get better and the same goes for any mental disorder.
If you or someone you love suffers from mental illness there are some things you can do to make the holidays better this year. Don’t skip any treatment sessions if you are already in treatment. If you are not receiving treatment for mental health problems then now is the time to get started on it. There is treatment available which can help you take your life back. If a loved one struggles with a mental disorder offer support. Go with them to therapy, and let them know that you are there is they need anything at all. Don’t wait until symptoms worsen or the mental illness spirals out of control.
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The link between mental illness and violence have led to individuals who have a mental illness being singled out or viewed with fear instead of compassion. Numerous studies and statistics show that people who are mentally ill are much more likely to commit suicide than they are to direct violence at someone else. In the USA alone in the year 2013 16,000 homicides were committed, and only 5% or around 800 of these homicides were committed by someone with a mental illness. In the same year 41,000 people commuted suicide in America, and around 90% of these individuals had at least one form of mental illness. These numbers show that someone who is mentally ill is more likely to harm themselves than they are to be violent with others.
The key to stopping violence and lowering the suicide rate is effective treatment for mental illness. Often individuals who have mental problems fall through the cracks. Treatment may be difficult to obtain, and mental illness can affect the thinking and decision making that the individual engages in. Many are calling for better mental health services and earlier intervention, and some are advocating for a return of policies from the past when the mentally ill were locked up indefinitely. Politicians rarely point out the suicide rate for mentally ill people while at the same time they are quick to blame mental illness when a mass shooting occurs and the perpetrator suffered from a mental condition. Until treatment for mental health is available to everyone who needs it there will be incidents of violence but these are much smaller than the number of people who take their own lives because they are mentally ill.
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In the last few years there have been news reports about incidents involving pilots who were struggling with mental health issues. Many airlines and aviation regulatory agencies expect pilots to self report any issues but is this letting the fox guard the chicken coop? Pilots may fail to disclose any problems out of concern that they will no longer be allowed to do their job, leading to a lack of income and a stigma associated with them that could affect their entire career in the aviation industry. The recent Germanwings crash also highlighted the issue of mental illness among pilots. In the USA the FAA created an exception in 2010 for pilots who are on antidepressant medication for depression that is categorized as mild to moderate, but even this is questionable.
Statistics show that those who start taking certain antidepressants can see an increase in the risk of harming themselves or others. Pilots who have mental illness may try to hide this fact so that their job and financial security is not jeopardized, but this could place the public at risk and few passengers would be willing to get on a plane if they knew the pilot was depressed and on medication. A balance needs to be struck so that the safety of passengers and the public are not placed at risk while allowing pilots to report any mental illness in a way that is safe and confidential. This is also true for pilots who are struggling with substance abuse problems. As long as the current system is in place pilots may not disclose any mental illness symptoms.
