Trigger warning : Potentially disturbing content.
The relationship between mental disorders and criminality has been a topic of debate for a very long time in criminal justice world. It is for sure that mental illness is immensely entwined with criminality.
People of all age groups with mental health disorders and issues often end up in prisons for committing crimes. This does not mean that people with a mental illness always end up in prisons or always end up committing crime, it’s just a belief that people with severe mental issues are prone to commit any type of crime. The public’s perspective of patients with mental disorders as “crazy” individuals is often because of the way psychiatric patients are portrayed by the media. Does having a mental illness make a person liable to criminality?
Source:- http://itsgov.com/mental-illness-related-criminal-behavior-study-shows.html
There is a vast spectrum of mental disorders that exists, so calling people with any mental condition dangerous would be incorrect. However certain mental illness can make a person prone to act aggressively or violently if they don’t get proper conditioning or the right treatment. Furthermore, psychiatric patients who are left with an untreated mental disorder often commit crime that could be assaultive or sexual. The crimes committed by psychiatric patients are also more gruesome than committed by those people who are free from any mental illness.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND CRIME
Schizophrenia includes a range of problems with thinking(cognition), behaviour and emotions of an individual. A schizophrenic person is usually delusional, they often hallucinate and might be disorganised. It is believed that an interaction between genes and a range of factors that could be psychological or environmental may cause a person to become schizophrenic. Consumption of Cannabis a.k.a. marijuana, a drug which is obtained from the Cannabis plan, can also cause schizophrenia or may increase the risk factors of developing schizophrenia.
Is schizophrenia a serious mental illness? Having a mental illness with involves hallucinations, delusions, being suicidal and bizarre behaviour can effect a person’s lifestyle and may cause them to face many challenges in life but most people with schizophrenia do not display signs of violent behaviour. However this is when a person is not suffering from acute symptoms of this disorder. When a schizophrenic person is suffering from acute symptoms of psychosis, the chances of them displaying the signs of dangerous behaviour and becoming violent increase because of the impact of the excessive delusions and hallucinations on their thinking.
The connection between criminality and schizophrenia According to the study which was conducted in Australia, a schizophrenic patient is three times more likely to commit any kind of crime as compared to an individual who is free from any mental illness. It is proven that acute symptoms of schizophrenia adversely affect the individual’s cognitive ability therefore this is likely the reason why approximately 8.2% of schizophrenic patients have been convicted of violent acts and crimes. Cognitive impairment which is a result of the disorder affects various aspects of the patient’s life.
Usually schizophrenic patients are unable to engage in normal and intellectual activities. Some of the patients withdraw themselves from the society. This is because most of them find themselves unable to interact and relate with others. Therefore when these people are faced with such challenges, most of them resort to being violent and indulge in criminal activities. Furthermore, family and therapies can play a major role in supporting people suffering from schizophrenia. Support of Family and provision of therapies can likely reduce the symptoms of the disorder and also reduce the chances of them engaging in criminal activities.
In Conclusion Schizophrenia and criminality are related. The main reason for this relationship is that cognitive ability of the patient suffering from schizophrenia is affected. Due to their inability to make right decisions because of poor thinking and reasoning they are likely to engage in violent and criminal activities. However to annihilate this situation, diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia are very important . There are various effective diagnosis approaches which includes physical exams, screening and psychiatric evaluation.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADHD AND CRIME
ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by unable to pay attention most of the time, being careless, hyperactive and impulsive. Emotional dysregulation is considered as one of the core symptoms of ADHD. In children, having ADHD may result in poor school performance.
ADHD is somewhat critical in explaining and contextualising engagement in criminality and predicting the likelihood of committing any sort of crime again. People who have ADHD commit crimes for many of the same reasons as those who don’t suffer from ADHD. Some people who suffer from this disorder usually have triggers to commit crime. Teens and adults with untreated ADHD are often attention seeking, bored or sometimes impulsive, therefore this combination of attributes pushes them to react with poor judgment.
If something which they desire appears in front of them they want it so they go for it. Studies also show that individuals with ADHD commit gruesome crimes then those without ADHD. These criminal offenses are usually spontaneous and reactive rather than carefully planned offenses. Why untreated ADHD is a matter of concern?
ADHD among prisoners is concerning, not only for the ones with the disorder but also for their victims who were misused non-violently and violently. Studies suggest that diagnosis and treatment of ADHD could have some impact on crime rates.
The national bureau of economic research, in 2009,explained a decline in violent crimes began in the 1990s. They explained that there’s indeed a relationship between the increase in prescribing of antidepressants and also in prescribing stimulants for ADHD. Teenagers often lack the ability to assess the positive impact that the treatment has to offer and usually devalue parental input. All studies and evidences show that the absence of treatment is correlated with the increase in rates of criminal behaviour.
ADHD is crucial factor relating to both crime and punishment. The disorder increases the risk of committing a crime. Evidence suggests that if proper treatment is provided, it may reduce the risk for criminal behaviour.
Written by:- Simran Kapoor and Kashish
Edited by:- Aadya
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