Exploring the Link Between Mental Illness and Homicidal Behaviors

Abstract

ENGL 102 Outline THESIS: Despite increasing mental health awareness, mental illness remains a powerful force that drives and fosters many homicidal behaviors among other stigmas as the victims lack proper self-control which leads them to poor decisions in life. Paragraph 1: The stigmatization of mental illness makes it a controversial issue or problem that stirs hot debates globally. “Distinguishing between homicide types is essential for applying justice because penalties vary according to the circumstances of the act and the killer’s intentions and behaviors.” (Vars et al. 1) “Violence is often referred to as being behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something” “Examples of lawful homicide would be the killing of a human being during war combat or the implementation of a lawfully ordered death penalty.” (Brookman et al, 2017). “The FBI have revisited the definition of the term however, arguing that serial homicide is the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender in separate events.” (FBI 2008) “Multiple homicide offenders (MHOs), defined as criminal defendants who murder more than one person during a criminal episode, occupy a peculiar place in criminology.” (Delisi and Scherer 367) “Genocide is directed against the national group as an entity, and the actions involved are directed against individuals, not in their individual capacity, but as members of the national group” (Lemkin 2008) Paragraph 2: Childhood trauma, history of abuse, and environmental influences can contribute to homicidal behaviors. “Childhood trauma, more specifically physical abuse, has been associated with violence risk in healthy populations and in individuals with mental illness.” (Englestad et al. 1) “Among dynamic, or modifiable, risk factors are reduced clinical insight, hostile behavior, poor impulse control, non-adherence to treatment and substance abuse.” (Englestad et al. 1) “Studies confirmed higher homicide rates among specific categories of mentally ill individuals who experienced maltreatment, unemployment, abuse in childhood, and substance abuse resulting from stigma and discrimination.” (Almomen et al. 1) “In 2017, more than 400,000 people died of homicide globally.” (Vars et al. 1) Paragraph 3: Schizophrenia is one of the leading mental illnesses associated with homicide. “Schizophrenia is associated with an increased homicide risk.” (Engelstad et al. 1) “Personality pathology, particularly antisocial personality disorder and psychopathic traits, has been associated with increased violence risk in schizophrenia.” (Engelsta et al. 2) “Individuals with schizophrenia can also have comorbid personality disorders.” “Comorbid schizophrenia and psychopathy has been associated with a four times higher risk of violence recidivism compared to a diagnosis of schizophrenia alone.” (Engelsta et al. 2) “Psychotic symptoms, particularly persecutory delusions, have been claimed to be the most important predictor of violence in schizophrenia.” (Engelsta et al. 2) Paragraph 4: There are several stigmas that surround homicide and mental illness. “A national survey which was conducted between 1950 and 1996, then repeated in 2006, showed that stigma towards mental illness continued to be one of the major problems in society despite the increase in knowledge and education about mental disorders” (Almomen et al. 1) “Stigma complicates mentally ill persons’ lives by reducing their self-efficacy and self-esteem, leading to a sense of worthlessness.” (Almomen et al. 1) “According to WHO, up to 85% of individuals with mental disorders are untreated, especially in low- and middle-income countries” (Almomen et al. 2) “In fact, mentally ill individuals are more likely to harm themselves than harm others, as suicide risk is 20 times greater among mentally ill individuals than among the general population” (Almomen et al. 3) “Mentally ill individuals have symptoms that include impulsivity, disorganized thoughts, and impaired reality testing; hence, their ability to perceive risks is diminished, and they are more vulnerable to physical assaults” (Almomen et al. 3) “Homicides associated with mental disorders were more prevalent in men than in women.” (Almomen et al. 3) Paragraph 5: Homicidal acts are prevalent in pregnant and postpartum mothers. “Domestic violence was a significant risk factor for attempted and completed homicide.” “Women married in the perinatal period constituted a highly vulnerable group: they were younger, more likely to be from minority ethnic groups, and unmarried.” “Compared to other countries pregnancy-associated homicide rates were highest in the US.” “Access to better care and advances in obstetric medicine have led to a reduction globally in pregnancy-related deaths.” Paragraph 6: Reporting mental health to the National Firearm Background Check System with lessen the number of firearms sold to those who suffer from mental illness. “The states report these records to the system see a 3.3–4.3% drop in firearm suicides. mental health restrictions on gun sales reduce suicides.” (Vars et al. 1) “Upon adding mental health records to the national system, states experienced a 3.3–4.3% decrease in firearm-related suicides with no evidence of substitution to non-firearm suicides.” (Vars et al. 1) “The second leading cause of death of people between 15 and 24 is homicide and 80 percent of such crime are committed with guns.” (Vars et al. 2) WORKS CITED Lynes, Adam, et al. “Making Sense of Homicide: A Student Textbook.” Waterside Press, 2021. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e900xww&AN=2734345&site=ehost-live. Cliffe, Charlotte, Miele Maddalena, and Steven Reid. "Homicide in pregnant and postpartum women worldwide: a review of the literature." Journal of public health policy, vol. 40, no. 2, 2019, pp. 180-216. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/homicide-pregnantpostpartum-women-xa0-worldwide/docview/[phone]/se doi:https://doi.org/10.1057/s4[phone]-z. Almomen, Zainab A., et al. "Homicide in Relation to Mental Illness: Stigma Versus Reality." Cureus, vol. 14, no. 12, 2022. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/homicide-relation-mental-illness-stigma-versus/docview/[phone]/se-2, Doi: HTTPs://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.32924. Engelstad, Katharina Nymo, et al. “Increased Prevalence of Psychopathy and Childhood Trauma in Homicide Offenders with Schizophrenia Compared to Nonviolent Individuals with Schizophrenia.” Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 73, no. 8, Nov. 2019, pp. 501–8. EBSCOhost, https://ezproxy.ccp.edu:2165/10.1080/08[phone].1656777. Hodgins, Sheilagh, and Carl-Gunnar Janson. Criminality and Violence among the Mentally Disordered : The Stockholm Metropolitan Project, Cambridge University Press, 2002. ProQuest eBook Central, htttps://ezproxy.ccp.edu:2063/lib/ccphiladelphia/detail.action?docID=217739. Gun Violence and Mental Illness, edited by Liza H. Gold, and Robert I. Simon, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2015. ProQuest eBook Central, https://ezproxy.ccp.edu:2063/lib/ccphiladelphia/detail.action?docID=5108630. SCHREYER, NATALIE. “‘The Most Vulnerable of the Vulnerable’: The Story of Erica Sheppard, a Lifelong Victim of Abuse Now Sentenced to Death, Exposes the Depravity of the Death Penalty.” Ms., vol. 32, no. 3, Summer 2022, pp. 32–35. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=158306306&site=ehost-live. Simpson, Alexander I., et al. “Author Reply to Letter to the Editor Regarding ‘Homicide Associated with Psychotic Illness: What Global Temporal Trends Tell Us about the Association between Mental Illness and Violence.’” Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 57, no. 1, Jan. 2023, p. 150. EBSCOhost, https://ezproxy.ccp.edu:2165/10.1177/[phone]1124509. Skipworth, Jeremy, et al. “Comparative Outcomes for a National Cohort of Persons Convicted of Murder, with and without Serious Mental Illness, and Those Found Not Guilty by Reason `of Insanity on a Murder Charge: A 25-Year Follow-up Study.” Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health, vol. 29, no. 5/6, Dec. 2019, pp. 276–85. EBSCOhost, https://ezproxy.ccp.edu:2165/10.1002/cbm.2120. Vars, Fredrick E., et al. “Slipping Through the Cracks? The Impact of Reporting Mental Health Records to the National Firearm Background Check System.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, vol. 195, Mar. 2022, pp. 52–74. EBSCOhost, htps://ezproxy.ccp.edu:2165/10.1016/j.jebo.2021.12.002.