When Patients With Paranoia Commit Medicolegal Acts: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Patients with paranoia have always been an attractive and redoubtable group of mentally ill to mental health professionals. In fact, beyond complex psychopathology and relatively better functioning, these patients do represent a real threat to themselves and their presumed persecutors.

Objectives

To explore criminological aspects of medicolegal acts committed by patients with paranoia.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study, based on medical charts consult. Were included, patients suffering from paranoia (persistent delusional disorder: jealous/persecutory/erotomania type, DSM-IV), hospitalized in the forensic psychiatry department of Razi hospital between 1995 and 2015. This psychiatry department provides medical care for male patients not held by reason of insanity, according to article 38 of the Tunisian Criminal Code. Patients’ socio-demographic characteristics were collected as well as criminological details of their acts of violence (victim, weapon type, crime scene, premeditation…).

Results

We collected 23 patients. Delusional disorder types were: jealousy (17), persecution (4), erotomania (1) and claim (1). The majority was married (18), undereducated (17), with irregular work (13). Forensic acts were uxoricide (15), attempted murder (5), violence against people (2) and destruction of public properties (1). Patients used bladed weapon in most of the cases (13), in the victim's residence (19), with premeditation in (17) of the crimes. Nine patients reported their act of violence to the authorities.

Conclusion

Our results do expose further data concerning potential dangerosity of patients with delusional disorders, and by that invites mental health professionals to prevent these acts with screening for violence predictors and risk factors.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.