Le rôle du soutien social dans la prédiction de la violence chez les personnes atteintes de troubles mentaux graves

Abstract

The evaluation of the risk of violent behavior in severely mentally ill rests on clinical and contextual factors, such as the presence of a co-diagnosis of alcohol or drug abuse, the presence of antisocial personality disorder, the quality of interpersonal relationships and the social support. There are several definitions of social support, therefore several measurements. Nevertheless, the link between the social support and physical and mental health are shown in the literature. Social support can be beneficial or a source of stress; consequently, it is considered a contextual risk factor for violence, or a protection factor, for individuals suffering with severe mental illness. Few studies consider the possible conflicting aspect of social support and even less show the relationship between social support and violence using non-linear analyses. This type of analysis would allow obtaining profiles likely to better explain the functioning of individuals in the context of the relationship between social support and violence, with the aim of intervening in a precise, personalized and targeted way, while decreasing the risk of violence in severely mentally ill.