Year of Award
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Sociology
Other Degree Name/Area of Focus
Criminology
Department or School/College
Department of Sociology and Criminology
Committee Chair
Dr. Mark Heirigs
Commitee Members
Dr. James Tuttle, Dr. Meradeth Snow
Keywords
mental health, social support, crime, institutional anomie
Publisher
University of Montana
Subject Categories
Criminology | Medicine and Health | Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance
Abstract
Since the decline of mental health service funding and availability, the relationship between untreated (or improperly treated) serious mental illness and violent crime is increasingly critical to examine. Rooted in a social support and institutional anomie theory (IAT) perspective, the purpose of this quantitative study is to analyze the relationship between mental health service availability and violent crime rates across the United States for the year 2016. It was hypothesized that findings would suggest an inverse relationship between mental health service availability and rates of violent crime. Results revealed the opposite, however, indicating that the more psychiatric hospitals in an area, the more violent crime will exist. This analysis provides insights into the most up-to-date reporting on the nationwide availability of mental health services, and how this impacts the rate and severity of crime at the state level.
Recommended Citation
Pugmire, Tatianna. 2023. "Uncovering the Connection Between Mental Health Service Availability and Violent Crime: A Test of Macrolevel Theory." Master's thesis, Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Montana.
Included in
Criminology Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons
© Copyright 2023 Tatianna R. Pugmire