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Crime and Mental Illnesses - Is There A Connection?

While having a mental illness does not directly cause criminal behavior, statistics show people with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Certain conditions like psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and acute stress are linked to criminal behavior during episodes. Additionally, it can be easy to confuse mental illness with criminality when an illness is not properly identified or accounted for. Finally, the prison environment can exacerbate existing mental illnesses due to its punitive nature and lack of adequate healthcare support. Overall, the statistics indicate mental health plays a role in criminal offenses and recidivism, highlighting the need for improved access to mental health services to reduce crime rates.

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107 views2 pages

Crime and Mental Illnesses - Is There A Connection?

While having a mental illness does not directly cause criminal behavior, statistics show people with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Certain conditions like psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and acute stress are linked to criminal behavior during episodes. Additionally, it can be easy to confuse mental illness with criminality when an illness is not properly identified or accounted for. Finally, the prison environment can exacerbate existing mental illnesses due to its punitive nature and lack of adequate healthcare support. Overall, the statistics indicate mental health plays a role in criminal offenses and recidivism, highlighting the need for improved access to mental health services to reduce crime rates.

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Crime and mental illnesses - is there a connection?

Introduction

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 40% of Australian convicts had
previously been diagnosed with a mental illness in 2018. According to other statistics, one in
every five people with mental illnesses will interact with the criminal justice system at least once
in their lives, and a 2013 study found that one in every three Australian adults in their 20s and
30s with psychiatric illness had been arrested over a 10-year period.

Link between mental illness and crime

While there is no direct correlation between having a mental illness and committing a crime,
these figures show that people with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice
system. This places a substantial burden on the entire system and jeopardises society's ability to
control crime.

For three reasons, someone with a mental illness is more likely to get involved with the criminal
justice system:

1. People with certain mental conditions are more likely to conduct crimes and be
detained as a result:
This is especially true for those suffering from psychotic disorders, when symptoms
including agitation, delusions, and hallucinations can lead to criminal behaviour.
Psychotic episodes that occur as a result of certain mental diseases might lead to criminal
behaviour. Bipolar disorder symptoms have also been linked to criminal activity in
studies. Furthermore, a person suffering from anxiety or acute stress is more likely to act
violently as a result of an increase in rage, agitation, and/or impulsivity.

2. It's easy to confuse mental illness with criminality or perversity:


When mental disease is not properly identified or accounted for, it is possible that the
conclusion that someone has committed criminality or perversity does not take into
consideration how mental illness may have influenced the act.
3. Mental diseases such as depression are exacerbated by the jail environment:
It's no secret that prison inmates have worse mental health than the general population.
With its punitive tone, inferior standards of healthcare, and limited visitation hours, the
jail atmosphere can often contribute to diseases including melancholy, stress, and anxiety.
The prison environment can exacerbate these disorders in many circumstances. Other
inmates' or staff's violence and brutality can also instigate or exacerbate mental illness.
As the statistics for mental illness in the criminal justice system and re-offending
demonstrate, these individuals require immediate rehabilitation and mental health support
programmes.

Conclusion

These sobering figures show that, while having a mental illness does not automatically make you
a criminal, it does play a role in criminal offences and the likelihood of re-offending. Finally, the
link between mental health and crime emphasises the critical role that supporting mental health
services play in reducing crime rates and jail populations. The need for Victorians to have access
to these services, as well as proper funding for these services, has never been greater.

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