Patient Risk Of Homicide

When we contemplate the association between violence and mental health, caution is warranted before we make assumptions or generate opinions, because of the stigma of violence in mental health; the vast majority of people suffering from mental health difficulties are not violent. Unfortunately, inaccurate beliefs about violence and mental health lead to stigma and even discrimination.

In The Lancet Psychiatry, Cathryn Rodway and colleagues examine the characteristics of a national case series of victims of homicide across England and Wales, specifically the characteristics of homicide victims who were mental health patients. One of the most striking findings of this study is the fact that mental health patients are twice as likely to be victims of homicide than are people in the general population. Furthermore, a third of patient victims were killed by another mental health patient. These findings raise the question as to why these rates were increased in this population. In particular, which factors (both individual and within relationships) put mental health patients at increased risk? Although findings from this study will improve awareness of potential...