The Relationships Of Clinical, Socio-demographic and Criminal Factors in a Sample of Forensic Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Introduction

The relationship between clinical factors and both psychosocial and criminal history characteristics among forensic psychiatric patients entering treatment in Lithuania has not been well explored.

Aims

The aims and objectives of this presentation are:

– to overview the clinical, socio-demographic and criminal factors in a Lithuanian sample of forensic psychiatric patients;

– to demonstrate which factors were significant to violent criminal behaviour;

– to address some main concerns and issues of risk assessment processes.

Methods

Data were collected from 325 forensic psychiatric patients’ files in one forensic psychiatric hospital in Lithuania. A sample consisted of 36 (11%) females and 289 (89%) males. The average age of patients was 41.7 years (SD = 14.0).

Results

Psychosis was the most common psychiatric diagnosis. The substance abuse problem was common in this population as well. The results of the logistic regression show that increase in patients’ substance abuse and their age was significantly associated with violent offending.

Conclusions

The study stressed an urgent need for further research of forensic patients in Lithuania.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.