There Has Been An Increase In The Proportion Of Persons...

â€Å"There has been an increase in the proportion of persons who associate mental illness with dangerousness, violence, and unpredictability† (Markowitz, 2005: 3) With reference to this statement, what is the public understanding of the nature and extent of mental disorder and how accurate is this? Intro This essay will look at the public understanding of the nature of mental disorder and to what extent it is associated with dangerousness and violence. The essay will begin by exploring the public’s perspectives and opinions on the matter and the impact that the mentally ill have on crime rates. Specific social perspectives will also be explored.. And finally the clinical approach on mental disorders will be explored and the risk factors and†¦show more content†¦Although stigmatizing attitudes are not only relatable to mental illness, the public attitudes towards mental illness tend to be more disapproving than towards people with physical illnesses (Piner and Kahle, 1984; Socall and Holtgraves, 1992; Weiner, Perry and Magnusson, 1988). Those with mental illnesses are viewed as being more likely to be responsible for their mental illness (Corrigan et al., 2000; 105). This assumptions is more towards those who suffer from substance additions and eating disorders rather than those who suffer from conditions such as schizophrenia (Angermeyer and Matschinger, 2004). Such attitudes as these therefore lead to discrimination. People in society are less likely to employ (Bordieri and Drehmer, 1986) and rent apartments (Page, 1977) to those suffering from mental illness, citizens are also more likely to direct false accusation s of violence to the mentally ill. (Explaining the increased arrest rate among mental patients: a cautionary note, 1980; Steadman, 1981) Although the stereotype towards the mentally ill is very current in society, it is not to say that all of the public agree with it. For example, there are many stereotypes of different ethnic groups but not everybody would agree with them. In contrast, prejudiced people will endorse these negative stereotypes, an example of this being that ‘those who are mentally ill are violent’, as a consequence this thenShow MoreRelatedAbnormal Psy Essay10046 Words   |  41 PagesDefault Information Field: Difficulty Information Field: Page Information Field: Type Highest Answer Letter: D Multiple Keywords in Same Paragraph: No Chapter: Chapter 1: Introduction: Definitional and Historical Considerations and Canadas Mental Health System Multiple Choice 1. An illustration of abnormal behaviour would be: A) Soiling oneself once a month at age 14. B) Experiencing anxiety when engaged in rituals after leaving the house. C) Losing control of oneself inRead MoreOcd - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment131367 Words   |  526 Pagesencouragement About the Author About the Author David A. Clark, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Canada. He received his PhD from the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, England. Dr. Clark has published numerous articles on cognitive theory and therapy of depression and obsessive–compulsive disorders (OCD), and is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is coauthor, with Aaron T. Beck, of Scientific Foundations of Cognitive