UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

Our research found that the perception of cannibalism varied across cultures; it has been shown that in some cultures cannibalism can be interpreted as a mental health disorder. We reviewed a total of eight articles that explored cannibalism, antisocial personality disorder, family dysfunction, anger, population density, and cult members. The studies examined the association between mental health disorder and behavioral problems. For the purposes of this review, only one study on Christi Cleek fit the criteria, which were (a) cannibalism amongst individuals, (b) dynamics among cult members, and (c) possible mental health disorders such as antisocial personality disorder. The study was then synthesized with the Sawney Bean Clan case study, a semi-mythical folklore story that was based off an earlier tale on Christi Cleek. The results showed that anger in community members, family dysfunction, and cult behavior could have a possible correlation that is associated with a mental health disorder such as antisocial personality disorder