Serious Mental Health Issues and The Criminal Justice System: Targeting Risk Factors And Treatments

Statistics show that about 14 percent of persons in the criminal justice system deal with a serious mental illness; that number is even as high as 31 percent among female inmates.

Now, a new report published in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry discusses redefining serious mental disorders and better intervention methods.

"It has been assumed that untreated symptoms of mental illness caused criminal justice involvement, but now we're seeing that there is little evidence to support that claim," said Matthew Epperson, assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, in a news release.

Epperson noted that just within the past 20 years have specialized interventions even been developed for those with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

"But we need a new generation of interventions for people with serious mental health issues who are involved in the criminal justice system, whether it be interactions with police, jails, probation programs and courts," he said. "Research shows that people with serious mental illnesses, in general, display many of the same risk factors for criminal involvement as persons without these conditions."

Besides a better understanding of certain health issues overall, the researchers also identified several factors that contribute to a person becoming involved in the criminal justice system, including a tendency for criminal thinking, antisocial attitudes, substance abuse and addictions, as well as trauma exposure.

How many choose to cope with certain stressors can also be a sign: violence, self-medicating, alcohol, sex and gambling are all reckless behaviors that can be signs of an underlying mental health issue.

"We need to move our collective thinking away from the uncomplicated notion that mental illness is the sole cause of criminal behavior and criminal justice involvement," Epperson added.

The study authors concluded that for progress, programs that target multiple issues, such as medication adherence, alternatives to criminal thinking patterns and supports and stable living situations are necessary.