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Mental Disorders and Criminal Behaviour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Jiri Modestin  and
Roland Ammann
Jiri Modestin*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Roland Ammann
Affiliation:
Division of Internal Medicine, District Hospital, Burgdorf, Switzerland
*
Dr Modestin, Psychiatric University Hospital, Lenggstrasse 31, CH-8029 Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract

Background

Using improved methods, findings of higher criminality in a psychiatric population were tested.

Method

An unselected sample of 1265 Swiss in-patients and a matched control group drawn from the general population were studied. Detailed accounts of conviction records served as a measure of criminal behaviour.

Results

Apart from traffic law violations by men, and violent crimes and sexual offences by women, patients were more frequently registered in all crime categories. However, there were significant differences between the diagnostic groups. Alcoholics and drug users of both sexes had a significantly higher criminality rate. A higher rate was also found among female, but not male, patients suffering from schizophrenia or related disorders and other, mostly organic, disorders.

Conclusions

Alcoholism and drug abuse contribute significantly to criminal behaviour, independent of sociodemographic factors; however, with a few exceptions, mental disorders such as schizophrenia and affective disorders do not contribute to criminal behaviour.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 166 , Issue 5 , May 1995 , pp. 667 - 675
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995 

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