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Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow Prof Seena Fazel said: "We wanted to determine whether there was an increased risk of violence in individuals with clinical depression, and without other factors which are known to contribute to this risk. "One important finding was that the vast majority of depressed persons were not convicted of violent crimes, and that the rates reported are below those for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and considerably lower than for alcohol or drug abuse. "There is considerable concern about self-harm and suicide in depression," he added. "We demonstrate that the rates of violent crime are at least as high, but they don't receive the same level of attention in clinical guidelines or mainstream clinical practice."

Diagnosed depression linked to violent crime, says Oxford University study

The Guardian online, 25/02/2015, Mark Tran

People diagnosed with depression are roughly three times more likely than the general population to commit violent crimes such as robbery, sexual offences and assault, according to psychiatric experts. The study, based on more than 47,000 people in Sweden, emphasised that the overwhelming majority of depressed people are neither violent nor criminal and should not be stigmatised. “One important finding was that the vast majority of depressed people were not convicted of violent crimes, and that the rates ... are below those for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and considerably lower than for alcohol or drug abuse,” said Seena Fazel, who led the study at University of Oxford’s psychiatry department. The researchers found that 3.7% of men and 0.5% of women committed a violent crime after being identified as clinically depressed. This compared with 1.2% of men and 0.2% of women in the general population.

Radio: BBC Radio Oxford, Breakfast

25/02/2015, 06:03

A link has been found between depression and violence by scientists at Oxford University. The findings show that people with depression are three times more likely to commit a violent crime. Professor Seena Fazel comments on his research.

Also:

Clinically depressed three times more likely to commit violent crime Fox News (US), 25/02/2015

Clinically depressed 3 times more likely to commit violent crime DNA (India), 25/02/2015, via Reuters

Radio: BBC Radio Scotland, Good Morning Scotland 25/02/2015, 07:15

Depression linked to violent crime, study finds BBC Health 25 February 2015 Last updated at 01:27

People with a depressive illness are three times more likely to commit a violent or sex crime than those in the general population, a study suggests.

The Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University examined the criminal records of 47,158 Swedish people after they were diagnosed with depression.

Some 3.7% of men and 0.5% of women had convictions - 1.2% of men and 0.2% of women in the general population did so.

The researchers say the issue has not been given enough attention by doctors.

The study, which is published in Lancet Psychiatry, looked at convictions for sexual offences and crimes such as murder, assault and robbery.

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