Why Is there an Association Between Comorbidity and Violence?: A Mediation Analysis

• In Event: Mental Disorder and Offending

Abstract

Violent behavior among individuals with severe mental illness has received significant attention from researchers in recent years. The resulting scholarship identifies comorbid substance use as a key risk factor responsible for the increased risk of violence observed among this population; however, little is known about why comorbidity imbues this increased risk. Given the variability in outcomes among individuals with comorbid mental health and substance use problems, it is imperative that researchers better understand the mechanisms at work in the relationships among mental illness, drug use, and violence. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted mediation analyses using data from a longitudinal study of patients recently released from psychiatric inpatient care. Our findings suggest certain situational, emotional, and psychological mechanisms that may explain this phenomenon. We then discuss policy implications and directions for future research

Authors

• Miranda Lynne Baumann, Georgia State University

• Brent Teasdale, Georgia State University