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.