No, Mental Illness Does Not Lead To Terrorism

The implication that lone-wolf terrorism will be less of an issue if we treat mental health problems is not only misinformed, it’s incredibly stigmatizing. That’s because mental illness does not equate to violent behavior.

Nearly one in four individuals globally will be affected by a mental health issue at some point in their life. That’s a significant number of people ? the majority of whom will live productive, normal lives with proper treatment. 

Of course, that’s not to say that some of the individuals who committed acts of terrorism, like the one that took place in Nice, France on June 14, didn’t have psychological issues at play ? but unless it was clinically diagnosed, we’ll never definitively know.

Statistically, it’s unlikely that someone with a mental health issue will commit a violent crime. Only 3 to 5 percent of violent acts can be attributed to those with a serious mental illness. In fact, those with a mental illness are more likely to be victims of a harmful incident.

How assumptions about violence can be harmful

Greenfield, author of Mind, Modernity, Madness: The Impact of Culture on Human Experience, said her goal was to highlight the growing issue of mental illness and how society contributes to it.

In a comment to The Huffington Post, she said that a majority of those with mental illness don’t commit violent crimes and when they do, it’s usually through self-harm. However, a violent act against others could still be carried out by someone with a mental health condition, she said.

“One should always keep in mind that this is a possibility,” she said. “In order to stop lone-wolf terrorism, we have to take care of mental illness.”

Therein lies the problem. While Greenfield’s intention is to reduce stigma and create a better understanding around mental health ? which is both necessary and admirable on a public platform like the Times ? it’s executed questionably.

A blanket statement that implies addressing mental illness will address terrorist attacks doesn’t take away the negative stereotype around mental health, it perpetuates it. Of course someone with a mental illness could commit one of these violent acts. But so could someone with no history of a mental health disorder. 

“The implications of making an assumption like this are potentially profound,” Gregory Dalack, chair of the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, told HuffPost. “It encourages the public to equate violence with mental illness, when we know that the vast majority of those who commit violent acts are not mentally ill and the vast majority of those with mental illness do not behave in violent ways.”

These types of assumptions also give off the false perception that a mental health disorder is some sort of character flaw. This can impede recovery or even prevent people from seeking help in the first place, Dalack says.