Schizophrenia and Crime: How Predictable Are Charges, Convictions and Violence?

Abstract

The schizophrenia-crime relationship was studied in 151 research participants meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and with histories positive or negative for criminal charges, convictions and offences involving violence. These crime-related variables were regressed on a block of nine predictors reflecting non-specific illness context (e.g. demographic, social) and a block of 14 predictors reflecting specific illness content (e.g. symptoms). Context variables predicted charges, with unique contributions from employment status, education and substance use. Further significant validity was provided by content-related predictors including symptoms (paranoia, depression, low energy), but not cognitive performance (verbal and non-verbal ability, working memory, processing speed, verbal memory, word fluency, inhibition, practical cognition). In contrast, neither convictions nor violence were predicted by illness context or content variables. These results suggest that specific contextual and intrinsic aspects of schizophrenic illness make interaction with law enforcement and therefore criminal charges more likely.Keywords Schizophrenia . Crime . Prediction . Symptoms Criminality, interpersonal conflict, violence and dangerousness are associated with schizophrenia in the public mind despite the low prevalence of these behaviors in people with the illness and despite evidence that they are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of crime (Ascher-Svanum et al. 2010). Nevertheless, recent reviews, meta-analyses and empirical reports have found small, but statistically significant associations between psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, and both violent and non-violent criminal offences, arrest rates and police contacts (Douglas et al.The persistence and social salience, if not the magnitude, of the schizophrenia-criminality link may contribute to policy and service decisions adversely affecting marginalized people diagnosed with serious mental illness. This link may reinforce the stigma that impedes their quality of life and limits access to health and social services. Hence understanding the nature of the schizophrenia-criminality interface is important from both scientific and clinical perspectives.One explanation for the association between schizophrenia and crime-related behaviors is that variables embedded in the context of the illness experience, but not intrinsic to the disease process itself, increase the probability of these behaviors. For example, social disadvantage, income and educational inequality are predictors of crime in the general population and may be strongly represented in the schizophrenia population (Kelly 2000;Daly et al. 2001). Thus Brekke et al. (2001 found that although violence against other people was rare, almost half of community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia had contact with police and almost a quarter were charged with offences. Younger age, frequent address changes and residential instability, as well as poor social functioning pred...

Differences in Neuropsychological Functioning Between Homicidal and Nonviolent Schizophrenia Samples

“…Deficits in intellectual , visuospatial , executive, attentional, and memory functions are observed among violent schizophrenia samples, when compared to normative data, generally. Despite this body of literature, other investigations fail to replicate such findings (see Table for an overview of studies comparing cognitive performance between violent and nonviolent schizophrenia subjects). Those studies that do show cognitive deficits specific to violent schizophrenia subjects differ regarding the pattern of neurocognitive dysfunction.…”

Bir Üniversite Hastanesinde 2012-2018 Yılları Arasında Suç Olarak Nitelendirilen Eylemlerde Bulundukları İddiası ile Değerlendirilen Psikotik Belirtili Olgularda Sosyodemografik, Klinik ve Suç Olarak Nitelendirilen Eylemlerle İlgili Özellikler

“…Yurtdışında yapılan çalışmalar incelendiğinde komorbid hastalıklarının ülkemizde yapılan çalışmalara göre daha yüksek oranlarda olduğu, özellikle madde kullanım bozukluk oranları yüksekliğinin dikkat çektiği saptandı. Suç olarak nitelendirilen eylemlerde bulunan psikoz tanı grubunda olan hastalarda madde kullanım bozukluğu oranlarını White ve ark %44,3 (27), Heinrich ve Sam %32 (29) Yapılan birçok çalışma sanrıların şiddet içeren davranışlar ile ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir (8,33,35). Çalışmalarda başkaları tarafından zarar ve kötülük görme sanrıları nedeniyle ortaya çıkan şüphecilik, düşmanca duygular, sinirlilik, öfke gibi duygulanımların hastanın şiddet davranışı göstermesine yol açtığı belirtilmiştir (35)(36)(37).…”

Bidirectional pathways between psychosocial risk factors and paranoid ideation in a general nonclinical population

“…Paranoid ideation is related to a wide variety of comorbid psychiatric disorders, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and even suicidality (Alsawy, Wood, Taylor, & Morrison, 2015; Freeman et al, 2011). Importantly, most severe forms of paranoid ideation are suggested to be a crucial risk factor for conducting violent crimes (Coid, Ullrich, Bebbington, Fazel, & Keers, 2016; Heinrichs & Sam, 2012). Since the severe forms of paranoia may be related to such adverse outcomes, it is necessary to investigate paranoid ideation in a much earlier phase to provide possibilities for early preventive interventions.…”