Criminal behavior of forensic and general psychiatric patients with schizophrenia: are they different?

Abstract

This study was designed to compare the rate of past criminal behavior among male patients being discharged from forensic and general psychiatric hospitals in four countries. Discharged consecutive patients from eight sites, four general and four forensic psychiatric, were included and asked for participation. Transcripts of past criminal behavior were available for this study. Analyses were limited to men with schizophrenia. One in five of the general psychiatric patients had a criminal record. The criminal histories of the offenders in the general and forensic hospitals were similar, except that all patients who had killed were treated in forensic hospitals. The results point to the need to assess the risk of violent behavior among general psychiatric patients in order to provide them with appropriate treatments designed to prevent criminal recidivism.