The epidemiology of crime, violence and schizophrenia

The infamous Hungerford Massacre, the multiple murders committed by Michael Ryan in the Berkshire town of Hungerford on 19 August 1987, remain firmly in the public's imagination. It would have been difficult for anyone reviewing the newspapers of that and subsequent days not to conclude that Michael Ryan was mentally ill – headlines ranged from “Day of the Maniac” to “Matricide Points to Schizophrenia”. Because Ryan killed himself and thus there was no possibility of a court case, psychiatrists were free to comment about his mental state and psychiatric diagnosis.