Mental Ill More Likely as Victims of Violence
Nathan Welton’s piece shed light on a widespread belief that mentally ill people are instigators of violence, when behavioral health experts say that mentally ill patients are more likely to be victims of violence. No doubt, this piece was written in an aftermath of a shooting, where a Pismo Beach man shot up Denny’s and killed himself. Every time when we see on television a violent act involving someone we believe to be mentally ill, part of us grow fearful of mental illness in general, and some of us may continue to assume that our safety may be compromised around someone who is suffering from a mental illness.
However, I’m a bit confused to the statement in the article, “According to behavioral health experts, the mentally ill with bipolar disorder, paranoia, schizophrenia and other related disorders are up to 23 times more likely to be the victims of violence but usually no more likely to commit it.” - specifically, the part where I’ve italicized and bolded. Does this mean mentally ill patients are not 23 times more likely to commit a violent act (but maybe at a lower number - like 10 times more likely)? Or does this mean mentally ill patients are no more likely to commit a violent act than a random sample of “normal” people?
I highly recommend this article, which also talks about misconceptions of mentally ill patients being drug abusers, and the role of life experiences.
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