Citation

Tengstrom A, Hodgins S, Kullgren G. Schizophr. Bull. 2001; 27(2): 205-218.

Affiliation

Karolinska Institutet, Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Huddinge, Sweden. anders.tengstrom@neurotec.ki.se

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11354588

Abstract

Persons who develop schizophrenia are more likely than nondisordered persons to commit crimes. It is important to investigate those who offend, in order to develop treatment programs that effectively prevent recidivism, and eventually, early childhood violence prevention programs. Recent studies have shown that among offenders with major mental disorders, there are two groups: early starters, who begin their criminal careers in adolescence; and late starters, who first offend as adults. The present study examined 272 violent male offenders with schizophrenia in Sweden who underwent a pretrial psychiatric assessment between 1988 and 1995. Early- and late-start offenders were found to present differences in behavior, comorbid disorders, personality traits, and referrals for treatment in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Their parents also differed. The findings have implications for treatment and management of offenders with schizophrenia, for risk assessment, and for prevention.

Language: en