Violence and people with mental illness There are studies that
show people with mental illness are more violent than the
general population and people with mental illness are not more
violent. There are several reasons for the discrepancy First
Paper: Edited by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey SUMMARY: It is well known
that the two major demographic predictors of violent behavior
are male sex and younger age. It is also known that the two
major clinical predictors of violent behavior are past history
of violence and substance abuse (alcohol and/or drug). Recent
studies have established that being severely mentally ill and
not taking medication is a third major clinical predictor of
violent behavior. Severely mentally ill individuals who ARE
taking their medication are NOT more dangerous than the general
population. - All studies of mental illness and violence done to
date suggest that individuals with severe psychiatric disorders
who are taking their medication are not more dangerous than the
general population. Among al