Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined psychiatric diagnoses of all individuals convicted of homicide and attempted homicide in Sweden from 1988 to 2001 (N=2,005). METHOD: High-quality national crime and hospital registers were linked to investigate standardized psychiatric diagnoses of homicide offenders. RESULTS: The presence or absence of psychiatric diagnoses was ascertained for 1,625 (81%) of the homicide offenders; 1,464 (90%) of these offenders had a psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty percent (N=409) of all 2,005 offenders had a psychotic illness, and 54% (N=589) of a subgroup of 1,091 offenders with information on secondary diagnoses had a personality disorder as a principal or secondary diagnosis. Only 10% of the offenders for whom psychiatric diagnostic information was available had no diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Using a comprehensive method for identifying psychiatric illness in homicide offenders, the authors found higher rates of psychiatric morbidity than previous studies. Their findings underline the importance of psychiatric assessment in homicide offenders and suggest that treatment might have a preventive role.

Original publication

DOI

10.1176/appi.ajp.161.11.2129

Type

Journal article

Journal

Am J Psychiatry

Publication Date

11/2004

Volume

161

Pages

2129 - 2131

Keywords

Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Forensic Psychiatry, Homicide, Humans, Male, Mental Disorders, Middle Aged, Morbidity, Prevalence, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Registries, Sweden