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Extremism, religion, and psychiatric morbidity:Young men’s attitudes towards the war in Afghanistan
Jeremy W. Coid, MB ChB, MD (Lond), FRCPsych, M. Phil. Dip. Criminol
Professor of Forensic Psychiatryhttp://www.wolfson.qmul.ac.uk/a-z-staff-profiles/jeremy-w-coid
Terrorism• Threat severe, more diverse,
dispersed, from countries without effective government
• By 2010 British born Muslim men, Pakistani origin, recruited by al-Qaeda, trained in Pakistan, fighting against British army in southern Afghanistan
• Larger numbers of young men from most European countries IS Syria, Iraq
Support for terrorism in population
Terrorists
Supporters
Sympathisers
Neutral persons
Attitudes and opinions(Deffuant et al 2002)
• Views and opinions initially considered extreme can become the norm
• Simulated models• If large part of population moderate or
uncertain extreme views prevail:a) Convergence into single extreme
or
b) Bipolarization
Psychiatric Morbidity
• Terrorists, unless lone-actors, well-integrated ‘normal’ individuals
• Mental disorder uncommon proximate cause• Mental disorder may convey vulnerability to
radicalization (Borum 2014)• UK survey Muslims – supporters of terrorism
have higher level depressive symptoms (Bhui et al 2014)
Research Question
1. Distribution of attitudes to war in Afghanistan among young male population
2. Associations with ethnicity, religion, violence / criminality
3. Vulnerability to psychiatric morbidity
Method
• Survey men 18-34 years, Great Britain, 2011• 3,679 men. Random Allocation Sampling• Self-reported– Psychiatric symptoms (PSQ)– ASPD (SCID-11)– Anxiety and Depression (HADS)– Alcohol use (AUDIT)– Drug use (DUDIT)– Violent behaviour
Yes, No, DK
• I feel strongly British (English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish) if that means standing up for yourself or your country
• I feel more like people with my own religious, cultural or political beliefs than people who are British
Yes, No, DK
• I support the war in Afghanistan• I oppose the war in Afghanistan
Yes, No, DK
• I could fight in the British Army in Afghanistan• I could fight against the British Army in
Afghanistan
Findings (1)Bipolarized distribution in population
Findings (2)Associations with Psychiatric Morbidity
OR P
Depression
Pakistani 2.26 0.009Black Caribbean 2.61 0.013Black African 2.59 0.009
Alcohol dependence
Pakistani 0.26 0.023Protestant 0.54 0.005Catholic 0.38 0.004Muslim 0.12 <0.001Attends services 0.71 <0.001Prays 0.72 <0.001
References: white, atheist/no religion
Findings (3)Associations with Psychiatric Morbidity
OR P
Depression
Pakistani 0.28 0.001Indian 0.49 0.042Protestant 0.47 <0.001Catholic 0.43 <0.001Muslim 0.21 <0.001Attends services 0.74 <0.001Prays 0.77 <0.001
ASPD
Indian 0.25 0.002Pakistani 0.19 <0.001Protestant 0.54 0.001Muslim 0.26 <0.001Attends services 0.78 <0.001Prays 0.82 <0.001
Identity (4)
• British culture– White– UK born– Not depressed– Not anxious– ASPD– No association religion– History of violence– Criminal convictions
Identity (5)
• Own culture– Ethnic minority– Non-UK born– Religious– ASPD– History of violence
Support / Oppose war (6)
• Support– White– UK born– Not religious– Not depressed– ASPD– History of violence– Criminal convictions
Support / Oppose war (7)
• Oppose– Pakistani– Non-UK born– Muslim– Religious– Not anxious or depressed– Not alcohol dependant
Fight for / against British Army (8)
• For– White– UK born– No religion– Alcohol dependence– Drug misuse– ASPD– History of violence– Criminal convictions– Imprisonment
Fight for / against British Army (9)
• Against– Indian– Pakistani– Other Asian– Drug misuse– ASPD– History of violence– Imprisonment
Conclusions (1)
• Bipolarization of attitudes in population• Most neutral or undecided• Risk of coalescence of extremism in minority
subgroups?
Conclusions (2)Psychiatric Morbidity
• Specific minority populations have higher prevalences of depression – Pakistani, Black
• Religion protective against externalising morbidity and behaviour
• Strong opinions – support or opposition to wars – not anxious or depressed
• Willingness to fight – in or against army – ASPD, drug misuse, violence, imprisonment
Conclusions (3)Psychiatric Morbidity
• Depression may be a risk factor for extremism and support for terrorism among Muslim populations (male and emale)
• UK men (total sample) holding neutral views are more likely to be depressed
• Increasing activity and support for a cause with willingness to fight are associated with lower prevalence of depression (protective?)
Conclusions (4)Psychiatric Morbidity
• History of externalising behaviour – more likely to fight – for or against terrorism
• Findings in 2011 confirmed extremism against UK associated with Pakistani origin, Muslim religion, and religiosity
• This presentation represents independent research commissioned by the U.K. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Program Grants for Applied Research funding scheme (RP-PG-0407-10500). The views expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of the U.K. National Health System (NHS), the NIHR or the U.K. Department of Health.
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