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Mental disorder and dangerousness.

P E Mullen

    The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
    |March 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Psychiatrists face challenges predicting future violence in mentally disordered individuals. While mental abnormality alone is a poor predictor, research suggests specific subgroups may have higher risks, requiring further definition.

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    Area of Science:

    • Forensic Psychiatry
    • Clinical Psychology
    • Criminology

    Background:

    • Psychiatrists routinely assess future dangerousness for legal proceedings.
    • Accurate prediction of violence in mentally disordered populations is complex and contested.
    • Existing challenges include low base rates for violence and high base rates for offending in specific groups.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To review empirical evidence on violence among mentally disordered individuals.
    • To examine the utility of psychiatric assessments in predicting future dangerousness.
    • To explore the existence and definition of high-risk subgroups within this population.

    Main Methods:

    • Literature review of empirical studies on mental disorder and violence.
    • Analysis of predictive accuracy in civil commitment and criminal court settings.

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  • Examination of clinical impressions and research findings regarding risk stratification.

    • Main Results:

    • Mental abnormality itself is a weak predictor of violent behavior.
    • The empirical evidence suggests that specific subgroups within the mentally disordered population may exhibit increased violent predispositions.
    • Current literature is insufficient to precisely delineate these high-risk groups for clinical decision-making.

    Conclusions:

    • Psychiatric assessments of future dangerousness are challenging, particularly in populations with high offending rates.
    • While mental disorder is not a direct predictor of violence, distinct subgroups with elevated risk may exist.
    • Further empirical research is needed to identify and define these high-risk subgroups to improve clinical and legal decision-making.