Although some high profile crimes have been committed by people with mental illness, only a small portion of violent crimes are committed by the mentally ill overall. Researchers have estimated that 96% of violent crimes (murder, robberies, rape, and aggravated assault) are committed by people who do not have mental-health problems.

A study from 1998 has shown that people with mental disorders who did not abuse alcohol or illegal drugs were not found to be any more violent than their neighbors. However, patients who abused substances and had a mental illness were more likely to commit violent acts than those who abused substances and did not have mental illness. That being said, alcohol and drug abuse increases the likelihood of violence in everyone. The strongest predictor of violence and criminal behavior is if someone has a past history of violence and criminality. The mentally ill are often portrayed as more dangerous, but in actuality people with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to be perpetrators.

It is estimated that around 50% of the people shot at by police are mentally ill. Many of these injuries and deaths are unnecessary, and could have been avoided if police had crisis intervention team (CIT) training. CIT training helps officers recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness. It teaches them how to calm down people with mental illness and refer them to mental health care services, rather than incarcerating them. Not only does CIT training save lives, but it also saves money by reducing jail costs, medical bills, and lawsuits. However despite the proven benefits of CIT training, only 10% of the nation’s 25,000 police departments require CIT training.

Even though only 4% of violent crimes are committed by people with mental illness, whenever a violent crime is committed it is frequently speculated that the suspect had a mental illness, regardless if there is any evidence to support that claim. In a 1998 survey 70% of respondents believed that people with schizophrenia are violent and unpredictable.

When by default violent crimes are blamed on mental illness it creates a stigma towards everyone who is mentally ill. As The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health has discovered the stigma from mental illness causes the public to avoid socializing, working with, living with, renting to, or employing people with mental disorders. It causes people with mental illness to develop low self-esteem, isolation, hopelessness, and depression. It causes the sufferer to feel shame, conceal symptoms and avoid seeking help because they don’t want to be labeled negatively.

We need to shift the narrative away from blaming violent crimes on mental illness. Aside from being untrue — It’s dehumanizing to the mentally ill. At this point hopefully a few readers are wondering what they can do to help reduce stigma. This PDF in particular has a lot of valuable information. The first step is to educate yourself and pay attention to any behaviors, thoughts, or language that you use that may contribute to mental health stigma. Share what you learn with family, friends, and acquaintances, and challenge stigma whenever you come across it. Support education programs, vote for bills, protest, and most importantly — contact. People are more than just their mental health, get to know who they are.