Mental disorder, psychological problems and terrorist behaviour: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Criminology
• Public Health

Background:

• The relationship between mental health challenges and terrorist behavior is a long-standing debate.
• Understanding prevalence rates is crucial for countering violent extremism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize the prevalence of mental health difficulties in terrorist samples.
• To examine the prevalence of mental health disorders predating terrorism involvement.
• To assess mental health difficulties as a risk factor for terrorism.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search conducted between April and June 2022.
• Inclusion of empirical studies examining mental health and terrorism.
• Meta-analysis and risk of bias assessment using Joanna Briggs Institute checklists.

Main Results:

• Lifetime prevalence of diagnosed mental disorders in terrorist samples was 17.4%.
• Pooled prevalence of any psychological problems was 25.5%.
• Prevalence of mental health difficulties before terrorism involvement was 27.8%.

Conclusions:

• The study does not support the notion that terrorist samples exhibit higher rates of mental health difficulties compared to the general population.
• Findings highlight the need for improved research design and reporting in terrorism studies.
• Mental health difficulties should be cautiously considered as indicators of terrorism risk.