Mental Illness and Violent Crime

Prevailing view is that mental illness increases violent crimes. Frontline example. Grrrr. Also wrote about this in 2003(?) using facts. Frankly, it is well-known in the mental health community that those with a mental illness are likely to be jailed for very minor, individual crimes; that most violent crimes are committed by those with no mental illness; and the violent crimes that are committed by those with mental illness are most likely to involve another person with mental illness (violence-on-violence). No one bothers to correct the myth - maybe because it helps get more funding and services for those with a mental illness! Good example of prevailing belief leading to *positive* unintended consequences.

-k