quick contacts

Questions about NCCOP? Want to help? Contact nccop@namigc.org.

For more information, referrals, support, and education about serious mental illness, call NAMI of Greater Chicago at (312) 563-0445, or visit the NAMI of Greater Chicago website, namigc.org.

Are people who have mental illness dangerous?

People with mental illness that are being treated are no more dangerous than the rest of the population. The 1999 Surgeon General’s report about mental health said, “There is very little risk of violence or harm to a stranger from casual contact with an individual who has a mental disorder,” and further, “The overall contribution of mental disorders to the total level of violence in society is exceptionally small.”

Statistically speaking, people with mental illness are more often the victims of crimes than they are the perpetrators. A past pattern of violence and aggression is the greatest indicator of future violence and aggression—whether that person has a mental illness or not. When persons with mental illness are violent – just as with the rest of the population – the use or abuse of substances is usually involved, and they are not being treated for their illness. Furthermore untreated symptoms are more likely to harm a person experiencing mental illness than to others—a 2008 NAMI survey found that people with mental illnesses die at least 25 years earlier than the rest of the population.

With the media and recent tragedies on campus, this concern has taken more of the lead. The important thing to remember is that people with mental illness who are being treated are no more dangerous than the rest of the population. Thus, getting a person who is affected by mental illness to a mental health professional and monitoring and advocating for proper, effective treatment is the best way to ensure the health and safety of all. Most importantly, this ensures the safety and wellbeing of the person most likely to be hurt or harmed by mental illness: the person experiencing the disorder.