THE SOCIAL-CONTEXT OF MENTAL-ILLNESS AND VIOLENCE

For years a debate existed in the literature concerning whether or not mentally ill persons were more dangerous than others. Empirical work was hampered by conceptual and methodological shortcomings, and was th erefore unable to settle the debate. Recently, methodologically sophis ticated studies have produced evidence which indicates a modest associ ation between active major mental disorders and violence. While some i nterpret this association to mean that mental illness or particular sy mptoms directly cause unwarranted physical aggression, this paper exam ines the case for the social context establishing socializing and envi ronmental conditions which are causal in both violence and the develop ment of mental disorder. it reviews the literature, indicating lacunae in our knowledge base, and posits a causal model which links social s tratification with both mental illness and violence through the struct ured types of stains, events, situations and persons an individual exp eriences as an integral part of life.