Antisocial behaviour - it's not an illness or an excuse!

That’s the angry retort from Gravesham MP Adam Holloway on the latest research which suggests unruly teenagers are actually mentally ill.

According to scientists at Cambridge University, disruptive youths have a chemical imbalance in the brain and body.

Normally when someone is put in a stressful situation they would show an increased level of the hormone cortisol.

It is said to make people act more cautiously and regulate their emotions, particularly their temper and violent impulses.

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However, the research led by Dr Graeme Fairchild and Professor Ian Goodyer showed unruly adolescent men in their study did not produce the same levels of the hormone.

It might explain why some young people seem to fly off the handle more easily or perform risky activities.

Dr Fairchild said: “If we can figure out precisely what underlies the inability to show a normal stress response, we may be able to design new treatments for severe behaviour problems.”

Mr Holloway, though, said it was yet another excuse for people who need to make better choices while going through life.

He said: “People’s behaviour is primarily based on the decisions they make and their personal responsibility.

• Listen: Hear Adam Holloway tell how bad behaviour shouldn't be excused >>>

“You can go on forever about, ‘Oh, someone’s from an underprivileged background or they’re ill,’ but that’s not the headline thing here, it’s about the choices they make.”

He regularly campaigns against antisocial behaviour and thinks people who act this way need proper punishment.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) provides child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) across West Kent and Medway.

The Trust's Clinical Director for CAMHS, Dr Jeanette Phillips, said: "Anti-social behaviour can be a sign of difficulties in a range of areas.

"More people are recognising that mental illness may be a contributing factor to anti-social behaviour and want to be assessed to see if this is the case.

"Our services are here to help rule this in or out, and a multi agency approach to helping young people who have these problems is what is needed.

"By working together, the range of public services, and families, can understand the reasons for anti-social behaviour and work together to meet their needs."