extremism, religion, and psychiatric morbidity: young men’s attitudes towards the war in...
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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
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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
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Support for terrorism in population
Terrorists
Supporters
Sympathisers
Neutral persons
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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Yes, No, DK
• I support the war in Afghanistan• I oppose the war in Afghanistan
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Yes, No, DK
• I could fight in the British Army in Afghanistan• I could fight against the British Army in
Afghanistan
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Findings (1)Bipolarized distribution in population
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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
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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
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Identity (4)
• British culture– White– UK born– Not depressed– Not anxious– ASPD– No association religion– History of violence– Criminal convictions
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Identity (5)
• Own culture– Ethnic minority– Non-UK born– Religious– ASPD– History of violence
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Support / Oppose war (6)
• Support– White– UK born– Not religious– Not depressed– ASPD– History of violence– Criminal convictions
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Support / Oppose war (7)
• Oppose– Pakistani– Non-UK born– Muslim– Religious– Not anxious or depressed– Not alcohol dependant
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Fight for / against British Army (8)
• For– White– UK born– No religion– Alcohol dependence– Drug misuse– ASPD– History of violence– Criminal convictions– Imprisonment
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Fight for / against British Army (9)
• Against– Indian– Pakistani– Other Asian– Drug misuse– ASPD– History of violence– Imprisonment
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Conclusions (1)
• Bipolarization of attitudes in population• Most neutral or undecided• Risk of coalescence of extremism in minority
subgroups?
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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
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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?)
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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
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• 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.