It’s time we put this myth to rest — violence and mental illness share about as much in common as violence and people who happen to be men. The key factor that determines whether someone with mental illness is at greater risk for serious violence in society is substance abuse.
Although we seek to find answers as to why people commit random acts of horrible violence, we should not focus on extraneous variables in a person, just because they’re convenient. Mental illness — by itself — is not the cause of violence in an individual.
And here’s the research to prove it.