On Friday, PST presented a thematic report on extremism and mental disorders. – We have put the report together to help strengthen our collaboration with the health sector, and to improve our internal knowledge of terrorism, says assistant PST manager Hedvig Moe at a press conference on Friday. In the report, PST writes that the duty of confidentiality often means that the healthcare system does not provide the health information they request. In addition, they have looked at mental disorders and developmental disorders in their own register. – In short, the report gives us a better basis for saying that mental disorders are a vulnerability factor when it comes to terrorism, says Moe. – It is important that we acquire knowledge about the incidence of mental disorders, developmental disorders and substance abuse in parts of the PST register. There it emerges that: autism is frequently occurring. PST writes that this emerges from a “review of recorded individual incidents and tactical or operational intelligence products” mental disorders and drugs appear to be “mutually negatively reinforcing in a risk perspective” drug abuse has been registered “in a number of people”, both in extreme Islamists, right-wing extremists and in people that threaten government officials, the breadth of the types of mental disorders reported in extremists has increased. In the report, PST writes that it is not possible to provide an overview of how many of those registered are also listed as having a mental disorder, developmental disorders or substance abuse problems. Press conference on extremism and mental disorders. Photo: Olav Døvik / news – It is important to show that very few people with mental disorders pose a danger to themselves or others. It is a very small number, but we see that there is a high incidence of mental disorders within all areas of extremism, says Moe. During a press conference on Friday, Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl points out that there have been a number of serious incidents of violence in the past year. These incidents can be linked to extremism, radicalization or mental disorders. Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl believes it is important to understand the background to why people commit serious acts. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – It is very important that we acquire knowledge about these factors, possibly connections between them so that we can prevent more attacks that affect life, health or people’s safety, says the Minister of Justice and continues: – We must understand the background for people to commit serious acts. Terror or psychiatry? In the past year, there have been several serious incidents of violence where the police were initially unsure whether it was terrorism or psychiatry: In October last year, Espen Andersen Bråthen killed five people in Kongsberg. He also tried to kill several people with a bow and arrow. At the beginning, the police did not rule out that it was a case of terrorism. Bråthen was sentenced to compulsory mental health care. The experts concluded that Bråthen has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. In November, a 33-year-old man was shot and killed by the police in Bislett in Oslo after the man ran after a woman with a knife. In June, Zaniar Matapour shot and killed two people in central Oslo. He is charged with terrorism, but the police also have a theory that psychiatry could be the background for the mass shooting. Not a direct risk factor In the general population, between 15-20 per cent have a mental disorder at any given time. The incidence of autism spectrum disorders is estimated to be around one to 2 per cent. According to PST, the extent to which a mental illness plays a role when a person becomes radicalized varies. According to the security service, such disorders are not a direct risk factor, but that mental disorders can have an indirect and reinforcing effect in a radicalization process. PST points out that “mental disorders and substance abuse (…) can just as well be a consequence of as a precursor to violent extremism”. Terrorist researcher Petter Nesser at the Norwegian Defense Research Institute (FFI) works to map terrorist incidents. He has not read the report, but says this based on his own research. – There is a significant incidence of people with mental problems in these terrorist cells and networks. There is a higher incidence among right-wing extremists than Islamists based on the sources we have, says Nesser to news. Autism and psychosis About autism, PST writes that it is demanding to clarify in what way the developmental disorder affects a course of radicalisation. The autism spectrum The autism spectrum includes several different diagnoses that are related to each other. The most common are childhood autism and Asperger syndrome. Internationally, the autism spectrum is referred to with the abbreviation ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders). In Norway, both ASD and ASF (autism spectrum disorder) are used. Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by: qualitative deviations in the ability for mutual social interaction and communication limited or narrow interests limited repertoire of activities characteristic uniform way of doing things There are large individual differences in persons on the autism spectrum. Occurrence and severity of the various symptoms and difficulties vary from person to person. Age, gender, ability level and additional difficulties also play a role. Many people on the autism spectrum are particularly vulnerable to developing additional difficulties such as mental disorders, epilepsy and sleep difficulties. Source: Autismeforeningen.no Some specialist circles believe that people on the autism spectrum may be extra vulnerable to radicalisation. It is linked, among other things, to the fact that many autistic people develop special interests: “This can contribute to a fixation on elements that can be linked to extremism, for example weapons or military effects and uniform symbolism,” the report states. PST emphasizes that this fixation is not necessarily an expression of extremism. Regarding psychosis, PST writes that there may be an indirect risk of violence when people with psychosis feel an intense threat over which they have no control. In the report, PST writes that serious acts of violence can be driven by psychosis, while elements of extreme ideology are present. Willing to cooperate with the healthcare system Now PST wants the healthcare system to provide more information to the police. The healthcare system is bound by the duty of confidentiality they have towards the patients. Among other things, it must ensure that patients feel safe when they give information to healthcare personnel. The healthcare system has the option to share information when weighty private or public interests so require. However, the security service writes that health personnel often do not want to share information, because they do not consider that this requirement is met. The PST believes that they need information in cases that will not “appear serious enough” for the health service. Therefore, PST is asking for better arrangements for PST and the police to be given information that is deemed necessary.
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– High prevalence of mental disorders – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
