Violent Mental Patients

Paper Summary:

There is no doubt that psychiatric patients are stereotyped as unstable and violent, but does this perspective square with the facts? This research paper extensively combs the data for some insight into this pervasive belief about mental illness, analyzing the sources of this stereotype and, most importantly, weighing its validity.

From the Paper:

"Timing also seems to affect the correlation between illness and violence. According to Steadman, et al. (1998, as cited in Nolen-Hoeksema, 2004, 685), the increase in violence among recently-discharged patients disappears after about a year. While the root cause of the correlation may be illness, then, improper or overly brief care may be partially responsible for violence perpetrated by patients not yet prepared to reenter the daunting realm of society. Understandably, the mental health profession faces a number of constraints, from ensuring that inpatient space is available to those who need it most, to providing services that are financially practical. Still, the policy that began with deinstitutionalization in the 1960's to release patients as quickly as possible may have some unfortunate consequences."

More papers on Violent Mental Patients:

• Term Paper # 122823 : "Mental Illness and Violence"
• Term Paper # 22663 : "The Effectiveness of Seclusion"
• Essay # 91087 : "The Baker Act"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: