Terrorism and mental disorder, and the role of psychiatrists in counter-terrorism in the UK

In this paper, we review the extant research on the links between terrorism and mental disorder in the light of evolving theoretical frameworks and new empirical evidence, examine the role of the psychiatrist in terrorist prevention as detailed in recently published guidance from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in response to government policy and legislation, and explore the contribution of contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives on existing empirical findings characterising the lone-actor terrorist.