The aim of this study was to academic achievement tests, replicated. When controlling for replicate previous ndings of an neuropsychological assessment comorbid AD/HD only one (of increased frequency of reading and personality questionnaires. 15) personality traits covaried and writing disabilities among Twenty-eight (62%) were dia-with dyslexia : suspicion. Thus, a prison inmates in Sweden gnosed with dyslexia, in line with substantial number of Swedish and Norway. Furthermore, we our previous study. Childhood prison inmates have reading and wanted to look into the comor-hyperactivity was reported by 25 writing di Y culties as well as bidity of AD/HD and dyslexia of the inmates (55%) and per-AD/HD. There are unmet needs and their correlates, i.e. the sisted into adulthood for half of for early diagnoses of neuropsyextent to which the individuals these subjects. No di V erences chiatric problems among juvenhad multiple problems and satis-between the dyslexic vs non-iles at risk, and for remediation ed criteria for more than one dyslexic inmates regarding per-of these di Y culties among psychiatric disorder. Forty-ve sonality disorders were obs-prison inmates. inmates with Swedish as native erved. The previously obtained key words: AD/HD, Dyslexia, language, age 21-52 years, were socially deviant personality pat-Neuropsychology, Personality, examined with interviews, tern among AD/HD inmates was Prison Inmates

Several investigations have reported high frequencies of reading and writing disabilities in criminal populations. The aims of the present study were to assess the frequency of dyslexia among Swedish prison inmates and to relate dyslexia to other indices of neuropsychological functions. Sixty-three prison inmates with Swedish as their native language, age 19 to 57 years, were examined by interviews, tests of academic achievement, and neuropsychological assessment. Twenty-six (41%) were diagnosed as dyslexic. As expected, the dyslexic group performed more poorly on verbal tests as compared to the normal readers among the prison inmates, but they also performed more poorly on tests measuring nonverbal abilities. The dyslexic group had higher frequencies of paranoid and avoidant personality disorders compared to the nondyslexics. They also reported higher levels of anxiety and suspicion and a lower degree of socialization. Previous studies report low IQ to be associated with criminal propensity, supporting the interpretation that a double handicap (dyslexia and low IQ) increases the risk of entering a criminal career and remaining in it. (JINS, 1999, 5, 452-461.)

No abstract

Young delinquents are known to be sensation seekers. Not all sensation seekers become delinquents: many engage in socially accepted activities, such as mountaineering or parachute jumping. The present study compares 47 juvenile delinquents (mean age 17 years) with 18 Swedish air force pilot recruits (mean age 23 years) and 19 conscripts (mean age 18 years) as a control group. Sensation‐seeking behaviour, impulsiveness, and psychiatric/psychological vulnerability were measured by the Zuckerman Sensation‐Seeking Scales (SSS), the Karolinska Scales of Personality, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Two separate multivariate analyses of variance were performed, followed up by stepdown analyses to identify those personality scale scores that contributed uniquely. In order to clarify the relationships, the pooled within‐group correlations among scales were computed. Juvenile delinquents and pilot recruits were both high in sensation seeking, but on different subscales. Delinquents were high in impulsiveness, somatic anxiety, and extraversion–sociability, and low in socialization, suggesting psychiatric/psychological vulnerability. The findings may have implications for the treatment of juvenile delinquents. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The abuse of flunitrazepam (FZ) compounds is worldwide, and several studies have reflected on the consequences with regard to violence, aggression and criminal lifestyle of FZ users. Criminals take high doses of FZ or some other benzodiazepines to "calm down" before the planned crime. There is support from earlier studies that most likely, all benzodiazepines may increase aggression in vulnerable males. Chronic intake of high doses of FZ increases aggression in male rats. Because psychopathy involves aggression, we have examined whether psychopathy as well as any of the four facets of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle and Antisocial) are related to different substance use disorders, with the focus on FZ. We have also examined the relationship between each PCL-R item and FZ use. Participants were 114 male offenders aged 14-35 years, all of whom were convicted for severe, predominantly violent, offences. Substance use, including FZ, was not more common in those who scored high in psychopathy. Use of FZ was more common in offenders who scored high in Facet 4 (Antisocial) of the PCL-R (odds ratio = 4.30, 95% CI 1.86-9.94). Only one of the PCL-R items, "Criminal versatility", was significantly associated with FZ use (odds ratio = 3.7). It may be concluded that intake of FZ has a specific relationship to only one of the facets and not to psychopathy per se. The findings have also important theoretical implications because Facet 4 is not a key factor of the construct of psychopathy. Clinical implications of the article: We have used the new two-factor and four-facet theoretical model of psychopathy in the young offender population, many of them with one or more substance use disorders. The present results suggest that antisocial behavior defined by Facet 4 (poor behavioral control, early behavior problems, juvenile delinquency, revocation of conditional release and criminal versatility) in the studied subjects is more typical for FZ users than it is for non-FZ users. This may have implications for assessment and treatment. Clinicians should be aware that criminals with high scores on Facet 4 have a more than fourfold odds of being a FZ user. This conclusion has an important clinical implication because FZ abuse is very common and is not always the focus of a forensic psychiatric assessment.