The severe and persistently mentally ill are much more likely to be victims themselves than to harm others. However, when some one with a psychotic disorder does do violence in the course of a psychotic episode, it gets a huge amount of media attention, and gives the general public the false impression that most psychotic people are dangerous to others.

Bubblyrat, the percentage of people who commit murder or serious violence against other people in the 'non psychotic' population is much higher than the percentage of people who commit murder or serious violence who have psychotic disorders. I suggest you be much more fearful of the young, socialized-to-violence, absolutely non-psychotic gang member than you are of the mentally ill living among us.

The rate of suicide and attempted suicide is much higher in the mentally ill population than in the general population. The murder rate is lower. The mentally ill are also at much greater risk of robbery and assault by members of the general population than visa versa. The mentally ill are much more likely to be prey than to be predator.

Violence by a mentally ill person is much more likely to make the front page, giving a false impression of their risk to others.

The failure of deinstitutionalization is primarily one of failure to fund and provide the community services needed to support community living and treatment.

Do the mentally ill sometimes need hospitalized? Yes. Should the mentally ill be warehoused in large numbers in institutions? No.

Janie