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The Mental Illness-Violent Extremism Nexus: Implications for Southeast Asia
Dr Damien D. Cheong Coordinator of Centre of Excellence for National Security and Senior Manager, Horizon Scanning
Dr Damien D. Cheong
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Some of the ISIS-inspired attacks over the last five years have been carried out by individuals with mental disorders. This has brought the mental illness-violent extremism nexus to the fore. The debate “rests on the question about whether the presence of a mental health diagnosis is enough to state that it was a driver of the radicalisation- linked behaviour or whether it was just one ingredient in the individual’s vulnerability profile and grievance structure.
This study aims to answer these questions, and in so doing, contribute to the on-going discussion of a highly complex subject. It argues that the most challenging aspect when dealing with this issue is determining the triggers that push the individual to commit the act of violence. These triggers need not be instigated by ISIS or an ideologue, but simply through regular news feeds that highlight humanitarian crises involving a particular religious group.
This study aims to answer these questions, and in so doing, contribute to the on-going discussion of a highly complex subject. It argues that the most challenging aspect when dealing with this issue is determining the triggers that push the individual to commit the act of violence. These triggers need not be instigated by ISIS or an ideologue, but simply through regular news feeds that highlight humanitarian crises involving a particular religious group.
| Theme: | Singapore and Homeland Security / Terrorism Studies |
| Region: | Southeast Asia and ASEAN / Global |
| Entity: | NSSP |
