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Homicides by people with mental illness: myth and reality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Pamela J. Taylor  and
John Gunn
Pamela J. Taylor*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
John Gunn
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Professor P. J. Taylor, Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF
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Abstract

Background

Tragic and high-profile killings by people with mental illness have been used to suggest that the community care model for mental health services has failed.

Aims

To consider whether such homicides have become more frequent as psychiatric services have changed.

Method

Data were extracted from Home Office-generated criminal statistics for England and Wales between 1957 and 1995 and subjected to trends analysis.

Results

There was little fluctuation in numbers of people with a mental illness committing criminal homicide over the 38 years studied, and a 3% annual decline in their contribution to the official statistics.

Conclusions

There are many reasons for improving the resources and quality of care for people with a mental disorder, but there is no evidence that it is anything but stigmatising to claim that their living in the community is a dangerous experiment that should be reversed. There appears to be some case for specially focused improvement of services for people with a personality disorder and/or substance misuse.

Type
Review Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 174 , Issue 1 , January 1999 , pp. 9 - 14
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

Declaration of interest

None.

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