The Relationship Between Violent offending and Mental Health Disorders

The increased propensity for violence in individuals with mental health disorders has been an issue of contention in social psychology for many decades. The majority of individuals with mental health disorders do not act violently, and violent offences are not solely committed by individuals with diagnosed mental health disorders (Glied & Frank, 2014). Nevertheless, research shows that individuals with some forms of mental health disorders more likely to engage in violence than those without (Felson, Silver, & Remster, 2012). This essay will explore the link between mental health disorders and violence by examining recent academic literature. First, this essay will discuss what sorts of mental disorders that are included in this argument, followed by a review of the theories that attempt to explain why mental health disorders can lead to violence. The evidence linking mental health disorders to violence will then be explained in terms of theory and application, followed by an analysis of the compounding effect of substance abuse on mental health disorders. Finally, the implications of these findings will be discussed in terms of recommendations to decrease violent offending in the community and the importance of decreasing stigmatisation.

The mental health disorders included in this essay are those major disorders that lead to a significant disturbance in thought patterns, including bipolar disorder, major depression, and psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. When attempting to determine the link between mental health disorders and violence, social psychology differentiates between instigating factors and inhibiting factors (Felson et al., 2012). Instigating factors are those that can influence an individual to be aggressive, whereas inhibiting factors are those that might decrease the power of this influence on an individual (Felson et al., 2012). One theory, known as the disinhibition theory, argues that individuals with these mental health disorders often lack the ability to self-regulate behaviour (Baumeister, Healtherton, & Tice, 1994). On the other hand, other theories argue that mental health disorders directly instigate and motivate aggressive and violent behaviour (Felson et al., 2012). These theories are divided into two categories, one known as the reactive aggression theory created by Berkowitz (1989), arguing that aggression is caused by an individuals frustration at not being able to achieve a goal. This depends on an individual’s interpretation of stimuli, which is affected by disorders such as major depression where individuals experience persistent negative affect (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Conversely, the instrumental approach is a theory stating that the cognitive effects of mental health disorders instigate aggression (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). For example, if an individual feels under attack, this can lead to aggressive behaviour being thought of as the rational response to the situation (Silver, 2006).