Interventions to address violence associated with mental illness.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this paper is to consider the association between mental illness and violence, and discuss broad intervention approaches.

CONCLUSION

The necessary elements of intervention to reduce violence by the mentally ill are holistic care, access to services and, where necessary, legal leverage. In the custodial setting, this includes screening, early intervention and treatment in prison, and assertive post-release case management to divert mentally ill offenders away from substance use and to support their return to the community. In the community setting, active case management, including access to inpatient beds and co-ordination between mental health services and other agencies, is crucial to providing continuity of care for patients at risk of violence in the community.