The most common criminal offences among psychoactive drug addicts

Abstract

Introduction. Psychoactive drug addiction causes serious consequences in many countries, not only for the health of the nation, but also for the emergence of various social problems, such as high crime rates, delinquency and unemployment. Material and Methods. A retrospective-prospective study included data of 100 criminal offenders, drug addicts, gathered from forensic psychiatric records in the context of criminal offences committed by those persons. Results. Out of all the drug addicts who committed criminal offences, 98% were males and the average age was 30.44. Most of the offenders were unemployed and had a lower level of education. A total of 56% were previously convicted. The majority of them previously committed one felony. Compared to previous offences, new criminal offenses were against life and body in 70%. Comorbid mental disorders were diagnosed among 84% of examinees at the moment of committing a crime, and 60% had personality disorders. The largest number of subjects with alcohol addiction primarily make offenses against life and body, while those with substance addiction usually commit offenses against human health. Conclusion. In drug addicts who have committed criminal offences, it has been confirmed that gender, age, employment, history of committing criminal acts and comorbid mental disorders are criminogenic factors that are significant for the prediction of general criminality. The continuity in researching predictive factors, as well as crime prevention within the population with mental disorders is and needs to remain a priority.