Terrorist attacks by single individuals, often referred to as lone wolf terrorists, may signify mental illness according to many mental health professionals. In recent months there have been a number of terrorist attacks by single individuals who suffered from some type of mental illness. In Canada a soldier was killed right outside of Parliament, and the killer was a Muslim who had become radicalized. In Texas an extremist with right wing ideologies tried to set the Mexican Consulate on fire. In England, right in London, a soldier who was off duty was killed when he was hacked to pieces right in the street by a man who was inspired to the act by Al-Qaida. All of these individuals showed one or more signs of mental illness in the period leading up to the attacks.
The link between mental illness and terrorist attacks by single individuals is a promising one, because this opens up the possibility that these attacks could be prevented with early screening for mental illness. Many radicals were not always that way, a lot of terrorist attacks by single individuals are carried out by people who were once considered normal. Over time these assailants started to develop ideologies and other signs of mental disturbance. In the near future there may be an opportunity to detect these problems earlier, and provide treatment before the person reaches the boiling point and commits acts of violence. When an individual is mentally ill it is easier for certain belief systems to become prominent, and detecting the mental disorder could prevent terrorist acts from occurring.