Citation

Coid JW, Bhui K, Macmanus D, Kallis C, Bebbington P, Ullrich S. Br. J. Psychiatry 2016; 209(6): 491-497.

Affiliation

Jeremy W. Coid, MBChB, MD(Lond), FRCPsych, MPhilDipCriminol, Violence Prevention Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London; Kamaldeep Bhui, MBBS, MSc, MD, FRCPsych, Centre for Psychiatry, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London; Deirdre MacManus, MB ChB, MSc, MRCPsych, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, London; Constantinos Kallis, PhD, Violence Prevention Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London; Paul Bebbington, PhD, FRCP, FRCPsych, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London; Simone Ullrich, PhD, Violence Prevention Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK s.ullrich@qmul.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.116.186510

PMID

27765774

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is growing risk from terrorism following radicalisation of young men. It is unclear whether psychopathology is associated. AIMS: To investigate the population distribution of extremist views among UK men.

METHOD: Cross-sectional study of 3679 men, 18-34 years, in Great Britain. Multivariate analyses of attitudes, psychiatric morbidity, ethnicity and religion.

RESULTS: Pro-British men were more likely to be White, UK born, not religious; anti-British were Muslim, religious, of Pakistani origin, from deprived areas. Pro- and anti-British views were linearly associated with violence (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.51, 95% CI 1.38-1.64, P<0.001, adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.13-1.58, P<0.001, respectively) and negatively with depression (adjusted OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.85, P<0.001, adjusted OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.86, P = 0.003, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Men at risk of depression may experience protection from strong cultural or religious identity. Antisocial behaviour increases with extremism. Religion is protective but may determine targets of violence following radicalisation.

© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Language: en