Jeremy W. Coid, MB ChB, MD (Lond), FRCPsych, M. Phil. Dip. Criminol Professor of Forensic Psychiatry http://www.wolfson.qmul.ac.uk/a-z-staff-profiles/jeremy-w-coid Extremism, Religion, and Psychiatric Morbidity: Young men’s attitudes towards the war in Afghanistan

1. 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 Psychiatry
http://www.wolfson.qmul.ac.uk/a-z-staff-profiles/jeremy-w-coid

2. 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

3. Support for terrorism in population
Terrorists
Supporters
Sympathisers
Neutral persons

4. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Yes, No, DK
• I support the war in Afghanistan
• I oppose the war in Afghanistan

11. Yes, No, DK
• I could fight in the British Army in Afghanistan
• I could fight against the British Army in
Afghanistan

12. Findings (1)
Bipolarized distribution in population

13. Findings (2)
Associations with Psychiatric Morbidity
OR P
Depression
Pakistani 2.26 0.009
Black Caribbean 2.61 0.013
Black African 2.59 0.009
Alcohol dependence
Pakistani 0.26 0.023
Protestant 0.54 0.005
Catholic 0.38 0.004
Muslim 0.12 <0.001
Attends services 0.71 <0.001
Prays 0.72 <0.001
References: white, atheist/no religion

14. Findings (3)
Associations with Psychiatric Morbidity
OR P
Depression
Pakistani 0.28 0.001
Indian 0.49 0.042
Protestant 0.47 <0.001
Catholic 0.43 <0.001
Muslim 0.21 <0.001
Attends services 0.74 <0.001
Prays 0.77 <0.001
ASPD
Indian 0.25 0.002
Pakistani 0.19 <0.001
Protestant 0.54 0.001
Muslim 0.26 <0.001
Attends services 0.78 <0.001
Prays 0.82 <0.001

15. Identity (4)
• British culture
– White
– UK born
– Not depressed
– Not anxious
– ASPD
– No association religion
– History of violence
– Criminal convictions

16. Identity (5)
• Own culture
– Ethnic minority
– Non-UK born
– Religious
– ASPD
– History of violence

17. Support / Oppose war (6)
• Support
– White
– UK born
– Not religious
– Not depressed
– ASPD
– History of violence
– Criminal convictions

18. Support / Oppose war (7)
• Oppose
– Pakistani
– Non-UK born
– Muslim
– Religious
– Not anxious or depressed
– Not alcohol dependant

19. Fight for / against British Army (8)
• For
– White
– UK born
– No religion
– Alcohol dependence
– Drug misuse
– ASPD
– History of violence
– Criminal convictions
– Imprisonment

20. Fight for / against British Army (9)
• Against
– Indian
– Pakistani
– Other Asian
– Drug misuse
– ASPD
– History of violence
– Imprisonment

22. Conclusions (1)
• Bipolarization of attitudes in population
• Most neutral or undecided
• Risk of coalescence of extremism in minority
subgroups?

23. 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

24. 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?)

25. 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

26. • 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.