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Severe mental illness and criminal victimization: a systematic review
Author(s) -
Maniglio R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01300.x
Subject(s) - mental illness , psychiatry , medicine , mental health , intervention (counseling) , population , substance abuse , medline , suicide prevention , injury prevention , poison control , psychology , environmental health , political science , law
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of criminal victimization among people with severe mental illness and to explore risk factors. Method: Four databases (MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, ERIC, and AMED) were searched for articles published between January 1966 and August 2007, supplemented with hand‐search of reference lists from retrieved papers. The author and a Medical Doctor independently abstracted data and assessed study quality. Disagreements were resolved by consensus after review of the article and the review protocol. Results: Nine studies, including 5195 patients, were identified. Prevalence estimates of criminal victimization ranged from 4.3% to 35.04%. Rates of victimization among severely mentally ill persons were 2.3–140.4 times higher than those in the general population. Criminal victimization was most frequently associated with alcohol and/or illicit drug use/abuse, homelessness, more severe symptomatology, and engagement in criminal activity. Conclusion: Prevention and intervention programs should target high‐risk groups and improve patients’ mental health and quality of life.