In these cases, it is sometimes necessary to legally mandate treatment using such mechanisms as involuntary outpatient commitments, conservatorships, and conditional release. Mary Zdanowicz, Executive Director of the NAMI Treatment Advocacy Center, expressed concern that the study neglected to emphasize the clear effect of treatment in decreasing violent behavior. The NAMI Treatment Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the adoption and implementation of laws and practices that increase access to timely and humane treatment for people who suffer from serious brain disorders such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive illness, and major depression. The Center is a supporting organization of NAMI and is completely funded by the Theodore and Vada Stanley Foundation. In recent years, increasing evidence has accumulated that individuals with major psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder, are more likely to be violent if they do not receive the medications and other treatments needed to prevent the recurrence of their illness.
Family members are the victims of such violence in the majority of cases.