Increased risk for family members
"Family members are most at risk of a violent act committed by a mentally ill person … [Another study] found that among those who had attacked people prior to their admission [to a psychiatric hospital], 65 percent ... had attacked a family member."
Two stories that made the news this week emphasize the danger families can face if a loved one with untreated mental illness becomes violent:
In Palo Alto, California this week a middle-aged man with paranoid schizophrenia stabbed his brother to death in their mother’s home where both men were living. The middle aged man had a long history of mental illness and criminal activity.
In Indiana, a younger sibling is alleged to have shot his older brother in self-defense after the older brother, who had bipolar disorder attacked his younger sibling.
Of course, individuals with severe psychiatric disorders are no more dangerous than the general population - IF they are being treated. Click here for tips on what to do if someone with severe mental illness does become assaultive.