Delinquency and Criminal Offenses in Former Schizophrenic Inpatients 7-12 Years Following Discharge

Overview

Journal Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

Specialties Neurology
Psychiatry

Date 2004 Sep 15

PMID 15365703

Citations 7

Authors

Michael Soyka

Veronika Morhart-Klute

Heinz Schoech

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Previously, we reported a high prevalence of aggression in a large sample of schizophrenic patients treated between 1990-1995 in the psychiatric hospital of the University of Munich.

Aims: To assess the prevalence of criminal offences and delinquency in former schizophrenic inpatients following discharge.

Method: With permission of the German General Attorney we reviewed the national criminal register records of criminal offences of these patients for a 7-12 year period following discharge.

Results: 224 (13.1%) of the 1705 patients had been convicted in the 7-12 year post discharge period. Male patients (22.1%) outnumbered female patients (6.9 %) 3:1 in this respect. The rate for violent offences was especially high: 45 (2.6 %) of the sample were convicted for physical injury offences (68 cases). Five cases of attempted or completed manslaughter or murder were recorded.

Conclusions: These data indicate a significant rate of delinquency and serious physical injuries in former schizophrenic inpatients. Future research may try to identify risk factors for aggression and violence in schizophrenic patients.

Citing Articles

Guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity? a comparative study of murderers referred for psychiatric examination by court order.

Yaron Antar A Health Justice. 2023; 11(1):35.

PMID: 37668924 PMC: 10478500. DOI: 10.1186/s40352-023-00230-z.

Clozapine in Reducing Aggression and Violence in Forensic Populations.

Patchan K, Vyas G, Hackman A, Mackowick M, Richardson C, Love R Psychiatr Q. 2017; 89(1):157-168.

PMID: 28643049 PMC: 5930356. DOI: 10.1007/s11126-017-9521-z.

"To see or not to see: that is the question." The "Protection-Against-Schizophrenia" (PaSZ) model: evidence from congenital blindness and visuo-cognitive aberrations.

Landgraf S, Osterheider M Front Psychol. 2013; 4:352.

PMID: 23847557 PMC: 3696841. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00352.

Aggression and trauma experiences among carer-relatives of people with psychosis.

Loughland C, Lawrence G, Allen J, Hunter M, Lewin T, Oud N Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2009; 44(12):1031-40.

PMID: 19333531 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-009-0025-5.

The prediction of criminal recidivism: the implication of sampling in prognostic models.

Urbaniok F, Endrass J, Rossegger A, Noll T, Gallo W, Angst J Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2006; 257(3):129-34.

PMID: 17164978 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-006-0678-y.

References

Sanders J, Milne S, Brown P, Bell A . Assessment of aggression in psychiatric admissions: semistructured interview and case note survey. BMJ. 2000; 320(7242):1112. PMC: 27353. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.320.7242.1112. View

Milton J, Amin S, Singh S, Harrison G, Jones P, Croudace T . Aggressive incidents in first-episode psychosis. Br J Psychiatry. 2001; 178:433-40. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.178.5.433. View

Humphreys M, Johnstone E, Macmillan J, Taylor P . Dangerous behaviour preceding first admissions for schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry. 1992; 161:501-5. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.161.4.501. View

Teplin L . The prevalence of severe mental disorder among male urban jail detainees: comparison with the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Am J Public Health. 1990; 80(6):663-9. PMC: 1404724. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.80.6.663. View

Krakowski M, Czobor P, Chou J . Course of violence in patients with schizophrenia: relationship to clinical symptoms. Schizophr Bull. 1999; 25(3):505-17. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a033397. View

Fazel S, Danesh J . Serious mental disorder in 23000 prisoners: a systematic review of 62 surveys. Lancet. 2002; 359(9306):545-50. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07740-1. View

Silva J, Harry B, Leong G, Weinstock R . Dangerous delusional misidentification and homicide. J Forensic Sci. 1996; 41(4):641-4. View

Eronen M, Tiihonen J, Hakola P . Schizophrenia and homicidal behavior. Schizophr Bull. 1996; 22(1):83-9. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/22.1.83. View

Cheung P, Schweitzer I, Crowley K, Tuckwell V . Aggressive behaviour in schizophrenia: the role of psychopathology. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 1997; 31(1):62-7. DOI: 10.3109/00048679709073800. View

10.

Shore D, Filson C, Johnson W . Violent crime arrests and paranoid schizophrenia: the White House case studies. Schizophr Bull. 1988; 14(2):279-81. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/14.2.279. View

11.

Taylor P, Gunn J . Violence and psychosis. I. Risk of violence among psychotic men. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984; 288(6435):1945-9. PMC: 1442214. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.288.6435.1945. View

12.

Karson C, BIGELOW L . Violent behavior in schizophrenic inpatients. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1987; 175(3):161-4. DOI: 10.1097/00005053-198703000-00006. View

13.

Walsh E, Buchanan A, Fahy T . Violence and schizophrenia: examining the evidence. Br J Psychiatry. 2002; 180:490-5. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.180.6.490. View

14.

Link B, Stueve A, Phelan J . Psychotic symptoms and violent behaviors: probing the components of "threat/control-override" symptoms. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1998; 33 Suppl 1:S55-60. DOI: 10.1007/s001270050210. View

15.

Brennan P, Mednick S, Hodgins S . Major mental disorders and criminal violence in a Danish birth cohort. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2000; 57(5):494-500. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.57.5.494. View

16.

Hodgins S . Mental disorder, intellectual deficiency, and crime. Evidence from a birth cohort. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992; 49(6):476-83. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1992.01820060056009. View

17.

Cannon M, Huttunen M, Tanskanen A, Arseneault L, Jones P, Murray R . Perinatal and childhood risk factors for later criminality and violence in schizophrenia. Longitudinal, population-based study. Br J Psychiatry. 2002; 180:496-501. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.180.6.496. View

18.

Arseneault L, Moffitt T, Caspi A, Taylor P, Silva P . Mental disorders and violence in a total birth cohort: results from the Dunedin Study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2000; 57(10):979-86. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.57.10.979. View

19.

Cheung P, Schweitzer I, Crowley K, Tuckwell V . Violence in schizophrenia: role of hallucinations and delusions. Schizophr Res. 1997; 26(2-3):181-90. DOI: 10.1016/s0920-9964(97)00049-2. View

20.

Wallace C, Mullen P, Burgess P, Palmer S, Ruschena D, Browne C . Serious criminal offending and mental disorder. Case linkage study. Br J Psychiatry. 1998; 172:477-84. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.172.6.477. View