The mental health of men engaging in firesetting: what have we learned since the millennium? A systematic review with narrative synthesis & arson: an exploration of the experience of men who fire-set in Northern Ireland

The current paper systematically reviews the published literature reporting the prevalence rates of mental health disorder among adult male arsonists and firesetters since 2000.

The broad research question of “Do adult males who commit arson report psychopathological outcomes?”, in addition to several more specific research questions, is used as guide. 23 studies were selected for review. A critical appraisal of study quality and a narrative synthesis of the findings was performed. The findings are discussed, including the clinical implications, and directions for future research.<br><br>Arson is an act of great cost to individuals and wider society, and is known to be interwoven with issues such as mental health and social disadvantage, yet is significantly lacking in research.