Is Killing Crazy? Link Between Mental Illness & Murder

Every day that you turn on your television, pick up a newspaper or surf the web, it seems another mass murder that has taken place.

The gun violence, bombings, stabbings and even beatings talked about daily might make you wonder why someone would ever commit these heinous crimes.

Were these just random acts of violence, or is there a link between untreated mental illness and murder?

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 1 in 17 Americans suffer from a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression. The vast majority of those people are not going to be violent.

So what leads one person to be violent and not the other?

There are some factors such as social isolation, having a violent background or coming from a violent background or a violent community, substance abuse and anger management issues that can all play a role in an increased risk of violence.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Sheela Raja, PhD, discusses warning signs to look out for, and what can drive someone to commit a mass murder.