Crime and violence among mental patients reconsidered in view of the new legal relationship between the state and the mentally ill
Abstract
The author compared the arrest rates of 301 former state mental hospital patients with those of the local county population and selected U.S. cities. He found that the patients had a markedly higher incidence of arrests for criminal behavior, including violent offenses, than either of the comparison groups. Patients who were female, aged 20- 30, and nonwhite had higher arrest rates for violent offenses than the rest of the study group. These findings are at variance with those of earlier studies but are in general agreement with more recent studies. The author suggests the need for further research in order to more completely identify those factors which explain the high crime rate among the mentally ill.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).