Depression does not lead to violent behaviour

Opposite to popular concept, people suffering from depression may not be more prone to commit violent acts in the future, says a new research.

The fact that the German co-pilot doubted to be behind the deadly plane crash in the French Alps last month, killing himself along with the 149 people on board, was apparently suffering from depression has prompted many to speculate that most psychiatric disorders could lead to violent behaviour.

According to the new study only substance use disorders predict future violence.

“Our findings are relevant to the recent tragic plane crash in the French Alps. Our study show that no one could have predicted that the pilot — who apparently suffered from depression — would perpetrate this violent activity,” said equivalent author Linda Teplin, lecturer at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the US.

“It is not just a suicide, but an act of mass assassination,” Teplin noted.

The study did find, however, that males with mania were more than twice as likely to report current violence than those without. However, these relationships are not necessarily casual, the scientists noted.

Offending youth with psychiatric illness have multiple risk factors — such as living in violent and impoverished neighbourhoods — the study emphasised.