Substance abuse and dependency as a risk factor for delinquency and violent behaviour in schizophrenic patients — how strong is the evidence?

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that schizophrenics are at a comparatively high risk for delinquency and violent behaviour. There is a need to define risk factors for aggression and violence in schizophrenics. Apart from an apparently higher rate of violent and assaultive behaviour in male schizophrenics, on the psychopathological level, symptoms such as vivid hallucinations or delusions have been proposed as possible risk factors. It is possible that substance abuse in schizophrenia may be considered as a risk factor for delinquency and violent behaviour. There is evidence from both clinical and epidemiological studies that this is the case. These data are reviewed.