Rates of Victimization of Violence Committed by Relatives With Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Persons with psychiatric disorders are at an increased risk of committing violence, with approximately half of all violence being perpetrated against family members. However, family violence perpetrated by persons with psychiatric disorders is a highly under-researched area, so much so that it is impossible to even approximately estimate the extent of the problem. This article presents the results of a national online survey of 573 adults with an adult relative with psychiatric disorders. Nearly half (47%) of all respondents reported being the victim of violence committed by their relative with psychiatric disorders since the onset of their relative's illness, and 22% reported being the victim of such violence in the past 6 months. Being the victim of minor versus serious violence was examined. The results of this study, in combination with sparse research previously conducted, suggest that 20% to 35% of persons with high levels of contact with a relative with psychiatric disorders have been the victim of violence committed by their relative with psychiatric disorders in the past 6 to 12 months, and that at least 40% have been the victim of said violence since the onset of their relative's illness. In the present study, no statistically significant differences were detected in rates of victimization based on the relationship type of the respondent to their relative with psychiatric disorders. It is imperative that further research be conducted that may inform the development of policies and interventions aiming to prevent family violence perpetrated by persons with psychiatric disorders.

The last taboo: The experience of violence in first‐episode psychosis caregiving relationships

“…Reports of patient violence do not necessarily reduce or disappear following first onset and treatment commencement (Milton et al ., ; Steinert, Wiebe, & Gebhardt, ). Further, contrary to prevailing myths and misconceptions and in line with other reports of domestic violence, patient‐initiated violence in psychosis is more frequently directed towards people already known to them such as family members (rather than strangers) and who may be co‐resident and female (typically mothers) (Belli et al ., ; Fawzi, Fawzi, & Fouad, ; Labrum & Solomon, ; Nielssen et al ., ).…”

Caring for a violent relative with severe mental illness: a qualitative study

“…This appears to be particularly true for mothers, who are considered to be the most affected by this type of violence (Nordström and Kullgren, 2003; Estroff et al., 1994). It has been suggested that this increased risk of violence experienced by mothers may be related to the proximity they share with their child in comparison to other family members (Estroff et al., 1998; Labrum and Solomon, 2017).…”

“…Most individuals with severe mental illness are cared for by their family (Copeland and Heilemann, 2008;Lefley, 2009;Onwumere et al, 2014) and this is no different for people with a forensic psychiatric history (Nordstro¨m et al, 2006). As per Rowaert et al (2016), the family is considered to be the primary source of support for people with a forensic psychiatric history, despite the fact that families who live and care for a severely mentally ill relative carry a heavy burden (Maurin and Boyd, 1990;Provencher et al, 2003;Saunders, 2003) and often face violence (Labrum and Solomon, 2017;McCann et al, 1996;Nordstro¨m et al, 2006). Nearly half of individuals caring for family members with forensic psychiatric histories report being victims of violence (Chan, 2008;Estroff et al, 1994;Labrum and Solomon, 2017;Solomon et al, 2005).…”

The coping process of Japanese parents who experience violence from adult children with schizophrenia

“…Physical violence, according to literature on intimate partner violence (Breiding et al, 2015), is defined as the use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or harm. Family violence by patients with SMI is common in Japan and the US, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 40% (Labrum and Solomon, 2015). Such violence is rarely studied because family violence is taboo and fears of further stigmatizing this population exist (Solomon et al, 2005).…”