Researchers have identified three risk factors that make adults with mental illness more likely to engage in violent behaviour. These risk factors according to the study are if an individual is currently using alcohol; if an individual has engaged in violent behaviour over the past six months; and if an individual has been a victim of violence within the past six months. Violent behaviour in this context ranged from pushing and shoving to sexual assault and assault with a deadly weapon. We found that these risk factors were predictive even when we accounted for age sex race mental illness diagnosis
