Extremism

The murky role of mental illness in extremism, terror

After family members of the driver who slammed a truck into a holiday crowd in the French city of Nice said he suffered from depression, questions have been raised again about the links between mental illness, extreme ideology and mass violence.

Mental illness cannot be blamed for terror attacks, experts say. The overwhelming majority of people with mental illness never turn violent. But mental health disorders may make some people more susceptible to extremist ideology, and in rare cases that ideology can lead to horrific acts.

"People who are loners and who become angry and resentful can easily be drawn to extremist ideologies," said Dr. Raj Persaud, a psychiatrist and professor at London's Gresham College. "They begin to dehumanize others and may not need much more motivation before deciding to commit a terrorist attack."