The temporal relationship between mental health service use and stalking perpetration

Abstract

Objective: Mental disorder is common among people who stalk. However, the nature of this association is unclear and it is not known whether the commencement of stalking is associated with symptoms of disorder. This study used a longitudinal design to examine the association between the onset and cessation of stalking behavior and indicators of mental disorder in the form of mental health service use. Method: Data linkage was used to explore public mental health service use among 157 people who engaged in stalking in Melbourne, Australia. Mental health service use across the lifetime, 5 months prior to stalking onset, between the onset and cessation of stalking (during stalking) and 5 months post-stalking was identified. Mixed regression models tested temporal associations between types of mental health service use (acute vs continuing care) and onset and cessation of stalking in a subsample of 130 participants where dates of the stalking episode were available. Results: A total of 105 (67%) participants had lifetime use of public mental health services, while 15% accessed mental health services in the 5 months prior to ( N = 19) or during the stalking ( N = 20) and 22% ( N = 29) used services in the 5 months after the stalking ceased. Odds of using acute mental health services and average monthly rate of use were highest during the stalking. Odds and average monthly rate of using continuing care were highest after the episode ceased. Conclusions: Most people who stalk have used public mental health services, but a minority access services immediately prior to or during the stalking episode. Acute service use was more common during the stalking, while use of continuing care services was more common after the stalking ceased. These findings provide preliminary support for a temporal relationship between acute mental disorder and stalking behavior.

Using Latent Class Analysis to Produce a Typology of Korean Stalking Based on Court Judgments

“…Both Intimate stalkers and Aggressors frequently had criminal records, used proximity-based approaches, engaged in threatening behavior, and possessed weapons. Note, Intimate stalkers exhibited psychosis less often compared with other stalking types that Mohandie provided (Mohandie et al, 2006) and this is a common trait for stalking perpetrators who had past intimate relationships with their victims (Albrecht et al, 2022). While nearly half of Aggressors had intimate relationships with their victims, they cannot be determined as “ex-intimate partner types.” Rather, they should be more recognized as people who stalk with “aggressive behaviors.” Given all the characteristics of Aggressors, it is logical to assume that prompt and proper intervention would prevent potential harm.…”

The Influence of Offender Motivation on Unwanted Pursuit Perpetration Among College Students

“…Those with mental health problems may have difficulty regulating their emotions, thereby increasing stalking perpetration (Chan et al, 2022). Personality disorders as well as other mental health problems have been associated with stalking perpetration (Albrecht et al, 2022;Churcher & Nesca, 2013;Meloy & Boyd, 2003;Meloy et al, 2011;Nijdam-Jones et al, 2018;Rosenfeld, 2004).…”

“…A meta-analysis found differences in the frequency of unwanted pursuit behavior across dyad types with men pursuing men and women pursuing women at significantly higher rates relative to men pursuing women and women pursuing men, but fewer studies provided information on LGBTQ identity (Spitzberg et al, 2010). Relatedly, although research finds mental health and victimization are important correlates of stalking behavior (e.g., Albrecht et al, 2022;Churcher & Nesca, 2013;Nijdam-Jones et al, 2018;Rosenfeld, 2004), fewer studies on stalking perpetration focus on women (Brooks et al, 2021;Lyndon et al, 2012;Meloy & Boyd, 2003;Meloy et al, 2011;Purcell et al, 2001;Strand & McEwan, 2012) or LGBTQ people (Derlega et al, 2011;De Smet et al, 2015;Edwards et al, 2022).…”

A critical analysis of stalking theory and implications for research and practice

“…( 2012 ) very specifically link it to the context of relationship pursuit. However, even within this domain, the model does not address the role of various types of psychopathology that have been shown to be present among those who stalk potential or former partners (Albrecht et al., 2022 ) and would undoubtedly influence perpetrators' use of coercive control tactics, nor does it address other proximal factors relevant to stalking. There may be considerable fertility and unifying power in combining elements of coercive control theory focussed on gendered cultural scripts and social structures with more proximally relevant single‐factor theories such as attachment, social learning or relational goal pursuit theory.…”

“…A second clear gap in existing stalking theory is the lack of attention to the role of psychopathology in stalking behaviour. Research indicates that over half of people whose stalking attracts criminal justice attention have a diagnosable mental disorder (Nijdam‐Jones et al., 2018 ), and in a proportion of cases, the symptoms of that disorder are implicated in their stalking behaviour (Albrecht et al., 2022 ). Psychopathology has played a major role in typologies of stalking but is virtually unmentioned in stalking theory.…”