For centuries, the narrative surrounding people with mental illnesses has been viewed from a distorted lens. The widespread association of mental illness and their perceived violent tendencies has significantly perpetuated the stigma around it. This intricate intertwinement of danger and mental illness is augmented by the problematic depiction of psychological illnesses by the mainstream media, through a disturbing perspective. The public fear, of violence being unforeseeable and arbitrary is more often than not attributed to the presence of psychological disorders (Stuart, 2003). Moreover, due to this demeaning linkage, the discrimination faced by the patients of mental illness is escalating. According to Stuart, such individuals have been a consistent recipient of bullying and physical violence (2003). The existing research depicting mentally ill people at a higher risk of committing violence is significantly due to the presence of non-representative samples of these individuals. People who are at the highest risk of being hospitalised or arrested are the ones dominating such representative samples (Varshney, Mahapatra, Krishnan, Gupta & Deb, 2016). Thereby, providing an inconsistent illustration of psychological disorders and its association with violence. Moreover, it is crucial to recognise that the statistical relationship existing between severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, and violence usually accounts for a small segment of societal violence (Thornicroft, 2020; Varshney et al., 2016; Rueve & Welton, 2008).
The stigma surrounding mental illnesses makes it difficult for individuals experiencing such illnesses to consider treatment. As the existing barriers to treatment and frequent inadequate analysis of their disorder leaves them susceptible to being arrested for both violent and non-violent crimes (Rueve & Welton, 2008; Stuart, 2003). Moreover, in a study conducted by Link et al, it was found that mental health patients were three times more likely to get arrested, as compared to the general population (Rueve & Welton, 2003). Preeminently, the emphasis is laid on the clinical variables of the patient, while associating it with violence instead of analysing the “dynamic interaction of social and contextual factors” as its determinant (Varshney et al., 2016, p. 223). Whereas, other diverse variables such as socio-demographic or socio-economic factors have a tendency of being neglected, by society. Also, the results overwhelmingly suggest the presence of a plausible interrelation between substance abuse and violence, whether in the context of concurrent mental illnesses or not (Stuart, 2003).
The society at large, tend to exacerbate the strength of the association between major mental disorders and violence, along with their perceived danger from individuals with mental illnesses (Stuart, 2003). This overemphasis by the public often intensify the stigma surrounding psychiatric disorders, and more often than not, people with mental illnesses end up being on the receiving end of the violence (Rueve & Welton, 2008). In a study conducted by Jadhav et al. (2007), it was found that Rural Indians portrayed a higher stigmatising attitude towards mental illnesses. Whereas, in case of Urban Indians, the findings suggested that while they depicted a more liberal attitude towards mental illness, still a strong linkage between stigma and the desire to not work with a mentally ill individual was present (Jadhav et al., 2007). Rueve and Welton, argues that it is crucial to remember the serious implications violence has for both the society and psychiatric practices, which can, directly and indirectly, impact the efficiency of the life of the patients and the people surrounding them (2003). It is significant to understand and unravel, the complex patterns of violent behaviours and the variability of its confounding factors in dismantling the discriminatory attitude of the public towards patients suffering from mental illnesses.
References
Jadhav, S., Littlewood, R., Ryder, A. G., Chakraborty, A., Jain, S., & Barua, M. (2007).
Stigmatization of severe mental illness in India: Against the simple industrialization hypothesis. Indian journal of psychiatry, 49(3), 189–194. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.37320
Rueve, M. E., & Welton, R. S. (2008). Violence and mental illness. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa.: Township)), 5(5), 34–48.
Stuart H. (2003). Violence and mental illness: an overview. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 2(2), 121–124
Thornicroft, G. (2020). People with severe mental illness as the perpetrators and victims of violence: time for a new public health approach. The Lancet Public Health, 5(2), e72–e73. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(20)30002-5
Varshney, M., Mahapatra, A., Krishnan, V., Gupta, R., & Deb, K. (2016). Violence and mental illness: What is the true story? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (1979-), 70(3), 223-225. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from http://jguelibrary.informaticsglobal.com:2074/stable/44017698
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