Offender Profile: Mental Illness

Psychiatric diagnosis has been considered by some studies of arsonists. Research suggests that an individual who has a psychiatric condition is not predisposed to be a fire-setter but a psychiatric illness may be correlated with fire-setting, (Langham, M., Hole, G.’ Andrews, R., Jeavons, S., & O’Hara, R., 1999).

About two in every hundred arsonists receive a Court Hospital Order each year. However, of those arrested for arson, about 10% are mentally ill, (Barker 1994:49).