Study: No Predictable Patterns Tying Criminal Conduct And Mental Illness Symptoms.

In “The Blog” for the Huffington Post (6/7), psychologist Nicholas Covino, president of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, wrote in wake of the Santa Barbara rampage, “Despite what is sensationalized in the media, the majority of violent episodes in this country are not triggered by mental illness.” In fact, “a recent study by the American Psychiatric Association found no predictable patterns linking criminal conduct and mental illness symptoms; of the 429 crimes studied, 7.5 percent were directly related to symptoms of mental illness.” People with mental illnesses “are more likely to commit suicide with a gun than homicide.”

Related Links:

— “Lessons from Santa Barbara: Why We Need a Long-Term Approach to Ending Violence,” Nicholas Covino, The Huffington Post, June 6, 2014.

Posted in In The News.