Mental disorder and violent victimization in a total birth cohort.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the association between mental disorder and violent victimization in a general population sample.


METHODS
We performed a multivariate analysis of violent victimization in a 12-month period on a total birth cohort with follow-up data that assessed, during their 21st year, males and females born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in the early 1970s.


RESULTS
Compared with people with no mental disorder, (1) people with anxiety disorders experienced more sexual assaults, (2) people with schizophreniform disorders experienced more threatened and completed physical assaults, (3) people with alcohol dependence disorders experienced more completed physical assaults, and (4) people with marijuana dependence disorders experienced more attempted physical assaults. These results held after control for psychiatric comorbidity, demographic characteristics, and the study participants' own violent behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
Mentally disordered young adults tend to experience more violent victimization in the community than those without a mental disorder.
Silver
Eric
E
Sociology Department at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA. exs44@psu.edu
Arseneault
Louise
L
Langley
John
J
Caspi
Avshalom
A
Moffitt
Terrie E
TE
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009520:New Zealand; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*