Perceived risks associated with mental illness: beyond homicide and suicide

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health Research
• Risk Perception Studies
• Social Science Research

Background:

• Understanding perceived risk is crucial for effective mental health policy and interventions.
• Existing policies may not fully capture the multifaceted nature of risks associated with serious mental illness.
• Diverse stakeholder perspectives are essential for a comprehensive view of risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the factors of perceived risk among individuals experiencing serious mental illness.
• To investigate risk perceptions across four key stakeholder groups: service users, carers, mental health professionals, and the general public.
• To identify significant variables influencing these risk perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a novel questionnaire to assess risk perceptions.
• Data collection from a large sample (n=1076) across four distinct stakeholder groups (n=550).
• Application of factor analysis to identify underlying dimensions of perceived risk.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified six key factors of perceived risk: underclass, medical disempowerment, threat, vulnerability, self-harm, and dependency.
• Stakeholder perceptions of risk are broader than those typically defined by current mental health policy.
• Gender emerged as the most significant variable, with women consistently perceiving greater risks than men.

Conclusions:

• Perceptions of risk related to serious mental illness are complex and encompass more dimensions than current policy acknowledges.
• The findings highlight the importance of incorporating diverse stakeholder views in understanding and addressing mental health risks.
• Gender differences in risk perception warrant further investigation and consideration in mental health strategies.