Citation

Carlstedt A, Innala S, Brimse A, Söderström Anckarsäter H. Nord. J. Psychiatry 2005; 59(6): 534-537.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. anita.carlstedt@rmv.se

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08039480500360724

PMID

16316910

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore how sexual child abusers who meet the DSM-IV criteria for paedophilia differ from those who do not. We studied DSM-IV disorders and paedophilic interests in all cases of sexual child abuse referred to forensic psychiatric investigation in Sweden between 1993 and 1997 (n=185). Frequency and severity of other mental disorders did not differ between subjects with and without DSM-IV paedophilia. However, men with paedophilia had more previous paedophilia convictions, same-sex and younger victims and less often intoxicated status when committing the act. The concept of paedophilia as a mental disorder is not supported by the DSM-IV diagnosis, which primarily describes the acting out of attraction.

Language: en