Comments on: Undertreatment of Mental Illness Causes Crime?

By: BMERRY

BMERRY — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:04:09 +0000

I can provide support to the study. My family members and friends are of the two thirds, at the time of their arrests, now, incarcerated with mental illnesses. Sufferers of the outcome of under treatment of their mental illness, ,and the inequality built into our political and justice system. My love ones experience hurt and humiliation as a result of the unhealthy attitudes about positive healthcare reform. The antiquated behaviors in both major parties that don’t permit a healthcare bill to pass that helps especially persons with mental illness is why much social injustice continues in our supposedly liberated society. My love ones without affordable healthcare, on disability, didn’t have an equal income to paid for the high cost of, quality, medicine. Medication that addresses their chronic asthma, serious insomnia and depression that debilitates Chemicals in their bodies, it is a fact, regulate thoughts and control behaviors, but persons in my family with mental health disorders also have asthma they are hindered and weaken, more so, is the results of under treatment. They are vulnerable to many systematic abuses and that includes persons in power that misuse their citation sway and judicial authority. True, violence and mental illness perceived to go hand and hand, aren’t jointed at the hip. Your point is clear and necessary as is Dr. Steffie Woolhandler intention to make understandable that under-treatment of mental illness that definitely be a factor in the inability to prevent crime and greatly takes account of the high cost of unnecessary incarceration. Where is the study of salaries, money made from prison warehousing in counties, states and federal correctional facilities? Where is the study that shows why rehabilitation of inmates, particularly, African-Americans isn’t an essential focus or taken seriously? Where is the study that shows how warehousing prisons negatively impacts the incarcerated, particularly, the majority, African-American males?

By: BMERRY

BMERRY — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:58:07 +0000

I have three members of my family that suffer from mental disordories. Wounded puppies they aren’t ill-treated human beings they are and under treatment for their mental disorders contributes greatly to crimes and incarceration that they experience. Compassion they deserve, especially since there is much indifference and negativity built-in our supposedly fair and equal justice system, particularly, when my family members that are under treated for their mental illness appears in court they are viewed as a meal ticket. Look into the prison business, the cost to house an inmate. Mental illness doesn’t equal crime but police, sheriffs correction officers and prison staff like their fat pay checks, so who cares about my family members’ special needs. The issues of mental illness and crime, psychologists I appeal stay devoted to the studies.

By: Vic

Vic — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:13:35 +0000

I am currently studying criminal psychology and have found this article along with the comments very interesting. I am on the fence on this topic.
Through my course I have looked in detail at the effects of mental illnesses on crime and have found that there is some correlation but we do not know why or how. Although I am not saying every criminal who says they have a mental disorder should be treated like a wounded puppy, but should be evaluated in recognition of the statement. There are cases where people say they have a mental disorder in order to get leniency. We can not argue that which we do not understand fully, I do not have a mental illness and I believe those people who wrote in detailing their stories have more experience and knowledge on this topic than any person can, even psychologists devoted to the studies.
I do however believe that the issues raised about health care are accurate. All society’s have issues surrounding their health care institutes and funding. My mother works at an institute of mental health for criminals and she said that it is adequate but nothing special.
I believe there is still so many questions to be answered and some that we may never have the ability to answer in order to fully understand the issues surrounding mental illnesses and crime…

By: Jane-Ann

Jane-Ann — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:50:59 +0000

I am about to cite this argument in my MA-Criminology assignment. I also agree with Dr Grohol that mental illness on its own is unlikely to cause crime. Reading the response posts above and considering people’s personal experiences in this area it is clear (and no disrespect intended) that some of the arguments intending to disagree with Grohol, unwittingly agree with him. A number of posts mention an effect of alcohol/drug (prescription or other) that contribute to their criminal behaviour and this is one of the major issues current research is trying to get at: MI contributes yes, but in most cases criminality results only as a result of MI in conjunction with substance & alcohol abuse. Semantics perhaps, but fact all the same.
As Grohol points out in his review, there are other disorders and medical conditions (kidney disease, HIV, Hepatitis) that are more prevalent than MI in prison populations, yet there is no argument that asthma is a predictor of criminal behaviour…

By: Claire

Claire — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 05:26:36 +0000

I agree with Dr Grohol’s assessment of the “research.” I get so sick of people acting as if mental illness = criminal behavior. Talk about reinforcing stigma.

Most people with mental illness are law abiding citizens. Oddly enough, even with a serious mental illness, I’ve never committed a crime. Shocking, I know.

Is it possible that many criminals (even those with mental illness) also happen to be jerks? Is it possible that it’s the jerk part of them that caused them to commit a crime?

By: GH

GH — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:08:43 +0000

Could you please provide data that supports the statement “most criminals are not mentally ill”?

By: HELP DENIED

HELP DENIED — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:34:33 +0000

This whole article troubles me. I am a 36 year old male, I suffer from multiple “Mental Illnessies” as they have been labled here.
This is in my opinion, and I speek with ALOT of experience, my “MI” and jail, prison, and mental health commitments, IS NOT an issue with our corrections departments. That is simple, you commit a crime, you pay for it. People without “MI” commit crimes due to reasons unknown to some, that they would not “normaly” commit as well. Using a “MI” as an excuse to be released or receive a lesser charge or punishment is not only a play of our justice system, but “unfair” to those without “MI” who would “normaly” not commit the same crime. If you receive a D.U.I. do you compalian because people who dont drink cant get that charge? No..
The lapse here is NOT the justice system, If you claim the people with “MI” wouldnt do these crimes with proper care, and medications, or what have you, then does the problem not fall short of our HELATH CARE SYSTEM? Clearly if all these people could get the help needed WHEN needed, they wouldnt be in the jails/prisons.
I have been found disabled from my “MI” and receive disability payments for this, the amount is minimal, I can not receive any medical assistance from my state or county, and 1/2 of my payments go to paying my medicare premiums, and I am responsible for 20% of all medical costs. So, does this consititue help, not in my eyes, If it werent for friends and family support, id probly be in prison. I do not have my medications for lack of $1863.76 a month to pay for them, yet im not in prison. I have issues, yes, but I know not to commit crimes, and though our health system does not recognize that help is needed for these situations, I beleive our Health care system is faulty beyond help, my meds costs far exceed my means, I cannot obtain employment, and with the rsdi payments can not afford to even have a place to live let alone eat. I have had legal issues, and bad ones, and I have “MI”, can they be related, sure, should one excuse the other? NO.

By: hilbert

hilbert — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 16:14:52 +0000

“clearly severe mental illnesses such as bipolar and schizophrenia put individuals at risk of becoming violent.”

No, they certainly do not. I’m not sure if you didn’t go to college or simply lack critical thinking skills, but do you understand the idea of correlation not equaling causation? Research does not support your offensive simplistic claims.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:07:27 +0000

I guess all i have to say is wow!! The crimial justice system needs to be reformed and the mental health system also. People need to understand this especially if you work in one of these systems these are some of the reasons I am a bleeding heart liberal. During the time that I went to jail I was not only extremly mentally ill and I was being abused mentally, emtionally, physicaly and finacialy before I ended up there by my girlfreind at the time ,I was living in a group home at the time too. When I was sick lying on the floor she would take a zippo lighter and click it in my ear for hours. Do to my illnes I was not even caplable of tell her to stop it or did know even how to get out of the situation. We ended up having a kid together which made matters much worse. Before that The threats, insults, and hitting me got even worse. She grew up that way she was abused by her sister and her grandmother who raised her would watch her sister abuse her. Combine this with me being manic and deppresed with clinical major deppresion I also have pariniod schizophrenia and she has bi-polar. As of today I am doing a hell of a lot better I have coustady of my little girl and my mom is helping me in raising her and my x took off to seattle. I forgot to say the she is also a major drug addict and in chips court my lawer said that she is the kind of person that will eventually destroy her self. After being abuse by her in this way for a year I blew up and ended up assalting her I tried to leave her but was so affraid for the safty of my child I did not what my little girl to grow up being abuse by her mother this way. Things are not so black and white or idealistc like people like to make things out but my mental illness was a major contributing factor to the reasons why i end up being abuse and ending up in jail. During that time I ended up in a state hospital in my home town and in that time things got even worse my x was abusing me over the phone and the staff at this state hospital did not care and even started to abuse me emotionaly and pyhcologicaly also the other clients were doing the same thing. Everytime I left the state hopital I commited an assult 1 time on my dad and one time 1 times on my x and one time after leaving jail on my x. During the time in jail I was being extremely harrased and abuse by innmates to how hell does somebody get threw a sitiuation like this and survive even is seriously beond me I was surounded by men who where going to prison for fare worse crimes the me and sometimes was literally fighting for my life in more then one way. I dont judge people like I used to and have a far different perspective on things these days. More then anything I do not judge people that are mentally ill and end up in the criminal justice system in minnesota 25-40 percent of people with mental illness end up in jail prison or probation this is a real problem and the truth is we are all in this toghter weather you like it or not we need to find better solutions for these problems maybe even a cure for mental illness someday.
thank you for reading this

Mark

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:38:11 +0000

Ahh well just found this web site and added this to my favorites I am a 31 year old man I went to college for 3 and a half years for natural resources at steven’s point wisconsin, I was the top student in my class and made the presidents list 2 times and the deans list 2 times I am a very book smart and street smart person. When i turned 21 I ended up getting diagnosed with bi-polar and clinical major depression a year later i was in jail do to my illness I beat up my dad. 3 years later i beat up my dad and my girlfriend and the time I have 4 assalts on my criminal record now none of them felonies. During the time I was ill none of my medications were working for me and I gained 120 pounds of extra weight from my anti-psycotic medication. Ok, who ever says that people with mental illnesses that end up in jail do to just poor jugdgement and choices is a very uneducated person about this topic and should not be making any kind of comment about this issue. During the time that i was sick i could hardly even walk at times let alone get out of bed for an entire 3 years and I went manic for an entire 7 months and did not sleep for and entire 28 days with my illnes I think anybody would be a little angery after that. I had a rule 20 at the time i was in jail which is a test to fined if the person is ether to be found commpetent or incommpetent for their crime I barley even remeber what i did wrong and was lucky i did remember otherwise i probably be still stuck in some state hospital indefenetly. If I never had a mental illness or was being properly treated i highly dought i would have never ended up in jail and that is the truth for me and many other people with mental illnes.

By: Ally Brown

Ally Brown — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:08:36 +0000

Dr. Grohol

I find your pretentious ramblings to be the most ignorant I have ever read or heard of on any topic.
This particular subject is very important to me and you have just given me that much more incentive to forge on in my quest to bring mental health issues to light for children who are suffering in silence and for men and women incarcerated for crimes committed that may have been avoided had they been on proper medications or given counselling that was much needed.
It’s time to make treatment for mental illness not a privelege, but a right.
It will happen and you will see that crime rates will drop.
That I will stake my entire career and life’s work on

Yours in disgust, but a fire fuelled to make change,

Ally Brown
Ontario Canada

By: serendipity

serendipity — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:41:28 +0000

It would seem obvious that mental illness can impact judgment in ways that asthma does not. Many crimes are, at bottom, poor choices- bad judgement. Denying any connection is wrong.

By: Criminologist

Criminologist — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:09:10 +0000

How can you make a completely untrue blanket statement that most criminals are not mentally ill?

I believe that is one of the most ignorant things I have ever read.

By: mswlynz

mswlynz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:03:56 +0000

Thank you Angela and Daniel for your inside takes on this issue. I agree with you, as well as the Harvard research article. Whether the under-treatment is a result of lack of health care, knowledge of resources, or unwillingness to be treated, I think it is clear that too often the mentally ill are treated as criminals without consideration of medical or therapeutic needs. This only creates a vicious cycle and locks people inside the system. Good points made by all!

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:38:11 +0000

I disagree with your take on this article Dr. John. As a mental health consumer who has found herself in conflict of the law; not due to lack of mental faculties I have an interrupted college education; not due to malice; not due to drugs though the wrong ones have triggered things; due to an undiagnosed case pf bipolar affective disorder. I had my very first severe manic episode complete with psychotic break and was arrested for very serious charges. No violence, no damages to property no physical attacks. I was arrested without incident. I had been misdiagnosed with chronic unipolar depression occuring since 18 (I can now attest undiagnosed at 12) and on a series of several different antidepressants over 20 years. Amytriptaline being the last one, it triggered my episode. I have co current borderline personality disorder (although it is a mild case), anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and claustrophobia. I find the article you commented on to be Very Accurate. It is all in how you read it. had I been able to access better and more informed professionals, and recieve the Lithium and antipsychotic medication I now take, This would NEVER have happened. I am now paticipating in group therapy using CBT, and one on one councelling. If incarcerated, I will only have medication, while that is a necessity, it is not enough. There needs to be some serious re structuring of the judicial system for the mentally ill, as well as many other things. There needs to be significant changes to the accesibility of psychiatrists by low income people as well as the average joe. I was let down by the health care system, then in dealing with the justice system let down againn by not being referred to Mental Health Court. I am slipping through the cracks, just as i am getting the treatment I should have had all along.