MENTAL DERANGEMENT – A Synopsis
Although studies have pointed to a slight increase in the risk of violent behaviors among those afflicted with major psychiatric ailments, a closer
examination of the research suggests that these disorders are not strong predictors of aggressive behavior. In reality, severely mentally ill people
account for only 3 to 5 percent of violent crimes in the general population. The data indicate that other behaviors are likely to be better harbingers of
physical aggression—an insight that may help us prevent outbursts of rage in the future. Retrieved from:
[ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/deranged-and-dangerous/ ]
Prologue
It is worthwhile to note that mental derangement has not as yet been introduced within the field of mental health. Such a construct may be in need of research and consideration; This may serve as a decisive move towards clearing the misconception that mentally ill people are responsible for heinous crimes, as well as increasing our skills of assessing someone’s potential for great harm to others.
Interest in this topic may begin by presumptively defining ‘mental derangement’ as a separate psychiatric entity, blending affective, thought, and behavioral processes that are clearly and indisputably verifiable through a review of one’s documented history, collaterals, and other corroborative evidence.
Symptoms and Signs
The proposed descriptive dimensional constellation may include the following: (a) lacking in universally acceptable forms of conduct, (b) exceptionally hateful, (c) almost compulsively vindictive, (d) highly intolerant, (e) sadistic, (f) excessively suspicious, (g) incapable of remorse, (h) prone to inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation upon others and (i) most often the product of a chaotic and/or significantly conflictual family environment
At an absolute minimum 7 of the 9 descriptors must be concurrently present at a mid to high intensity for a duration of more than 5 years.
Onset
Onset will be as insidious, as it will be progressive, and signs may go back to early childhood emulating ADD, or Oppositional Defiant traits.
History
There will be (a) history of behavioral issues resulting in frequent visits, or parental contacts with the ‘principal’s office. Starting in late adolescence, or early adulthood, (b) they may have frequently expressed ‘road-rage’, (c) engage in cannabis or alcohol use, and (d) may have been known to bullying, or being the victims of bullying.
Validity
To be credible, such a construct will require intensive research, and going beyond the connotation of these descriptors into their carefully researched denotational meaning.