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Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Nicola Swinson ,
Sandra M. Flynn ,
David While ,
Alison Roscoe ,
Navneet Kapur ,
Louis Appleby  and
Jenny Shaw
Nicola Swinson
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK. Email: nicola.swinson@btopenworld.com
Sandra M. Flynn
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK
David While
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK
Alison Roscoe
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK
Navneet Kapur
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK
Louis Appleby
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK
Jenny Shaw
Affiliation:
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, UK
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Abstract

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The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 199 , Issue 4 , October 2011 , pp. 341
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Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2011 

We were looking for factors which corresponded to the overall rise in homicides in people with psychosis; factors which showed increases of a similar magnitude, over a similar timescale. This was the case for drug misuse, allowing us to infer an association. Evidence has been found linking income inequality to both violent crime Reference Wilkinson1 and rates of substance misuse, Reference Wilkinson and Picket2 although this has been disputed and there is controversy Reference Pickett, James and Wilkinson3 over the validity of the association found between income inequality and mental illness. Reference Huisman and Avendano4 There has been a marked increase in income inequality in recent years Reference Davey Smith, Dorling, Mitchell and Shaw5 but, from the data which we have available to us, we are unable to comment as to whether this is also the case among those with mental illness, and whether there is any causal association with homicide rates. In future research we hope to explore the data using deprivation indices which might provide further information on any association between income inequality, mental illness and homicide.

References

1 Wilkinson, R. Why is violence more common where inequality is greater? Ann NY Acad Sci 2004; 1036: 1–12.Google Scholar
2 Wilkinson, R, Picket, K. The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone. Penguin, 2010.Google Scholar
3 Pickett, KE, James, OW, Wilkinson, RG. Income inequality and the prevalence of mental illness: a preliminary international analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health 2006; 60: 646–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4 Huisman, M, Avendano, M. Income inequality and the prevalence of mental illness: the “outlier” US drives the association (e-letter). J Epidemiol Community Health 2006; 26 September.Google Scholar
5 Davey Smith, G, Dorling, D, Mitchell, R, Shaw, M. Health inequalities in Britain: continuing increases up to the end of the 20th Century. J Epidemiol Community Health 2002; 56: 434–5.Google Scholar
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