History Of Criminal Behavior Research Articles

Study of the Socio-Demographic Profile, Pattern of Substance Abuse and Criminal Behaviour in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

With the ongoing increase in supply, temptations, stressful lifestyle and easy availability, substance abuse is growing amongst different populations at an alarming rate. Its demand is increasing alarmingly in the younger generation due to various socio-economical reasons. Substance abuse has also been found to be associated with violent behaviour and infectious diseases. The aims of this study were to find out the socio-demographic profile, pattern of substance abuse and criminal behaviour associated with Opioid Use Disorder. 106 diagnosed patients of Opioid Use Disorder registered at the OSTCentre, Department of Psychiatry, S.R.N. Hospital, associated with Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj were included. All patients were interviewed according to a semi-structured questionnaire prepared for the purpose of collection of information regarding patterns of opioid abuse and history of criminal behaviour, if any. Out of 106 cases, 48 were found with a history of criminal behaviour. Criminal behaviour was found mostly amongst the cases of unemployed and uneducated cases. Cannabis was found to be the most common substance used prior to initiation of opioid abuse. The 20-29 years age group was found to be the most vulnerable age group for initiation of opioid abuse and commission of crime. Accordingly, the 2nd and 3rd decade of life needs better familial and social support along with strict law enforcement related to the supply of illicit substances.

Assessing attribution in the criminal behavior of mentally disordered offenders: Developing a Japanese version of the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory-Revised.

Treating individuals with a mental disorder and a history of criminal behavior (mentally disordered offenders [MDOs]) aims to enable patients to maintain their health and facilitate social rehabilitation while preventing adverse outcomes, such as violent recidivism or suicide. Understanding and responding to their own insight on their criminal behavior is crucial to achieving this goal. This article aims to develop a Japanese version of the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory-Revised (GBAI-R) and investigate the reliability and validity of the scale for MDOs in Japan. In addition to developing the Japanese version of GBAI-R (GBAI-RJ), psychological data relevant to the Japanese study were collected and analyzed. Factor analysis was employed. Seventy-seven Japanese native participants were recruited from forensic psychiatric inpatients, outpatients, and medical prison inmates between 2020 and 2022. The results demonstrated that the dimensions on the GBAI-RJ had a similar factor structure to those reported in previous studies. The GBAI-RJ has both test/retest reliability and internal consistency. The three dimensions Guilt Factor, External Factor, and Mental Element Factor from the original version in English are applicable to the Japanese version for assessing attribution and comparing the findings with those of the previous studies.

Untangling the relationship between child maltreatment and criminal behavior: executive functioning as mediator

ABSTRACT There is evidence that childhood maltreatment (CM) is an important risk factor for adult criminal behavior. However, little is known about the cognitive processes mediating this relationship. This study examined the mediating role of executive functioning (EF) on the relationship between CM and history of criminal behavior on a sample of 334 male individuals in custody from Uruguay. Preliminary results showed that CM was significantly associated with past criminal behavior in all multivariate models. The mediation analysis found that behavioral regulation had a significant mediating role while the metacognition and EF total score did not. Finally, the inhibition domain was the strongest mediator. This suggests that CM is an important risk factor that needs to be considered in Uruguay, and addressing behavioral regulation may also help to address some of the long-term consequences of CM and targeting deficits in inhibition could be a potential target for treatment for individuals that commit criminal offenses.

Prevalence of criminal convictions in Norwegian adult ADHD outpatients and associations with ADHD symptom severity and emotional dysregulation

ObjectivesAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with antisocial behaviour. Several studies have shown high rates of ADHD among prisoners. However, the prevalence of crime among individuals with ADHD is less known. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime criminal conviction (CC) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and the associations with the severity of ADHD and emotional dysregulation (ED).MethodsPatients were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Of the 656 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 629 (95.9%) agreed to participate in the study. CC was determined based on self-reporting of the lifetime history of criminal behaviour. ADHD was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria, and ADHD severity was measured using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). ED was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley’s Current Behaviour Scale - Self-Report (CBS-SR).ResultsThe prevalence of self-reported CC in this clinical sample was 11.7% among women and 24.5% among men. CC was associated with hyperactive-impulsive severity (p < 0.001) and ED (p = 0.006).ConclusionsThe prevalence of self-reported lifetime criminal conviction was high for both genders. CC was associated with symptom severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. The findings suggest the need for greater research efforts on the avoidance of criminal activity in people with ADHD and targeted intervention for ADHD treatment and CC prevention.

Patterns of alcohol consumption in european pregnant women with alcohol use disorder

IntroductionPrenatal alcohol exposure can have a negative impact on a child’s neurocognitive development. Still, about 16% of European women maintain alcohol consumption, even after knowing they are pregnant. Several studies have shown that alcohol use patterns alter drastically during pregnancy. However, little is known about how these change in women with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) diagnosis.ObjectivesTo understand the impact of pregnancy on alcohol use patterns in women at high risk or with previous AUD diagnosis.MethodsBibliographic research was made through the PubMed/NCBI database. No time limit was specified on the search. Pertinent manuscripts were individually reviewed for additional relevant citations.ResultsSeveral factors influence alcohol consumption during pregnancy, including financial status, educational level, and high levels of psychological stress. Although older age at the onset of pregnancy is deemed a risk factor for alcohol consumption, women of 25 or fewer years of age are at higher risk for AUD, as are those with a history of criminal behaviour and family history of AUD. Pregnancy seems to play a critical role in altering alcohol use patterns, reducing the risk of AUD in about 70%, regardless of pregnancy trimester. This is seen even in women who present high-risk factors for AUD.ConclusionsPregnancy presents itself as a behavioural change promoter and should be regarded as a window of opportunity for intervention in women with AUD. However, there are few studies that focus on alcohol consumption patterns specifically in women with AUD, whereby making it necessary to extrapolate the available data.

Bağımlı bireylerde suç davranışının retrospektif incelemesi

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, bir AMATEM kliniğinde yatarak tedavi gören ve sosyal inceleme yapılan tüm hastaların, sosyal inceleme raporlarının geriye dönük değerlendirilerek suç davranışı oranları ve etkileyen faktörlerin tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmanın verileri 2016-2018 yılları arasında yatarak izlenen, alkol ve madde kullanım bozukluğu tanılı, 18 yaş ve üzeri, 360 hastadan sosyal inceleme yapılan 106 hastanın 97’sinin formlarının geriye dönük incelenmesi ile toplandı. Dokuz hasta veri eksikliği nedeniyle çalışma dışı bırakıldı. Bulgular: Çalışma grubunun %96,9’u (n=94) erkek, %3,1’i (n=3) kadın olup; yaş ortalaması 28,8±10,5 (18-63) idi. Hastaların %18,6’sı (n=18) alkol kullanım bozukluğu tanısına sahipken, %81,4’ünün (n=79) madde kullanım bozukluğu tanısı vardı. Grubun suç oranlarına bakıldığında %84,5’inin (n=82) suç işlediği, %33,0’ının (n=32) bu suçlardan tutuklandığı saptandı. Suç davranışı öyküsü olanlarda %87,8 (n=72) madde kullanım bozukluğu, %12,2 (n=10) alkol kullanım bozukluğu tanısı mevcuttu (p=0.001). Ayrıca suç işleyenlerin %48,8’inde (n=40) kendine zarar verme davranışı saptandı (p=0.011). Erkek cinsiyetin suç davranışı riskini 14,6 kat artırırken (p=0.041), madde kullanım bozukluğu tanısının ise riski 5,3 kat artırdığı tespit edildi (p=0.012). Sonuç: Bir grup bağımlı hastada tespit edilen yüksek suç davranışı oranları, madde kullanım bozukluğu tanısı ve erkek cinsiyet ile ilişkili bulunmuş olup; aynı zamanda suç işlemiş olan bağımlı bireylerin kendine zarar verme davranışı oranları da anlamlı olarak daha yüksek saptandı.

Challenges experienced by South African families caring for state patients on leave of absence.

BackgroundFamilies of state patients experience challenges related to the patient’s mental illness and history of criminal behaviour. Family members who act as guardians when patients are on leave of absence take responsibility for the patient’s basic needs, activities of daily living and treatment regimen. They need to safeguard the patient from potential self-harm and harming others. Few studies have explored the burden these family members experience.AimThe aim of this study was to explore and describe the challenges experienced by families caring for mental state patients who are on leave of absence.SettingAn urban area in South Africa.MethodsA qualitative approach was applied to answer the research question, ‘what are the challenges experienced by families caring for mental state patients on leave of absence?’ A purposive sample of nine participants who were caring for state patients on leave of absence was selected. Individual in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical considerations and trustworthiness guided the study.ResultsThree themes illustrate the challenges experienced by family members, namely, challenges related to state patient’s behaviour, emotional challenges and social challenges. A fourth theme focuses on the ways families used to cope with these challenges.ConclusionMental healthcare professionals may use the results of this study to design therapeutic interventions for family members of state patients who focus on empathetic understanding and the mobilisation of effective coping skills and social support.

Protective Effects of Pregnancy on Risk of Alcohol Use Disorder.

The authors sought to clarify the etiology of the association between pregnancy and reduced risk of alcohol use disorder. The authors used data from longitudinal population-wide Swedish medical, pharmacy, and criminal registries to evaluate whether rates of alcohol use disorder are lower during pregnancy. They compared pregnant women born between 1975 and 1992 (N=322,029) with matched population controls, with female relatives discordant for pregnancy, and with pre- and postpregnancy periods within individuals. They further compared rates of alcohol use disorder between pregnant women and their partners. Pregnancy was inversely associated with alcohol use disorder across all analyses (odds ratios, 0.17-0.32). In co-relative analyses, the strength of the association increased among more closely related individuals. Within individuals, rates of alcohol use disorder were substantially decreased during pregnancy relative to the prepregnancy period (odds ratios, 0.25-0.26), and they remained reduced during postpartum periods (odds ratios, 0.23-0.31). Results were similar for second pregnancies (odds ratio, 0.23). The partners of pregnant women also exhibited reductions in alcohol use disorder (odds ratio, 0.45). Among women who became pregnant at earlier ages and those with a history of criminal behavior, the negative association between pregnancy and alcohol use disorder was especially pronounced, but no moderation was observed for a personal or maternal parental history of alcohol use disorder. The findings suggest that pregnancy plays a critical, and likely causal, motivational role in reducing alcohol use disorder risk among women and, to a lesser extent, their partners. These results extend our understanding of the relationship between pregnancy and alcohol use, demonstrating that even a severe condition such as alcohol use disorder is subject to the protective effects of pregnancy.

Sociodemographic and psychopathological predictors of criminal behavior in women with gambling disorder

IntroductionWomen have been underrepresented in the empirical research of gambling disorder (GD), a psychiatric condition included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5). More specifically, no studies to date have been carried out exploring the clinical phenotype of women with GD who have committed gambling-related illegal acts. AimsIn this study, we sought to delineate the clinical, personality and psychopathological differences between treatment-seeking women with GD, with and without a criminal record. Furthermore, we aimed to identify the variables that best predict the presence of illegal acts in this clinical group. Material and methodsData corresponded to n=273 treatment-seeking women who met criteria for GD. Two groups were compared: women with a history of criminal behavior (n=61, 22.34%) to those who did not (n=212, 77.66%) taking psychopathology, clinical and personality data into account. ResultsWomen who engaged in criminal acts were younger and endorsed higher psychopathology, GD severity, and novelty seeking levels than the other clinical group. Regarding the predictive model, women with higher levels of novelty seeking and lower levels of reward dependence were at higher risk of having a criminal record. Discussion, conclusions and implications for practice and/or policyOur findings uphold that women with GD and a history of illegal acts are especially vulnerable in terms of comorbid psychopathology and dysfunctional personality traits. Therefore, this population could potentially benefit from public policies that target their mental health needs.

Gambling and Impulsivity Traits: A Recipe for Criminal Behavior?

Gambling disorder (GD) is a psychiatric condition that was recently recategorized as a non-substance-related addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders. Criminal activity is commonly associated with gambling; however, few empirical studies to date have examined sociodemographic and psychological variables in this population. In this study, we explored criminal behavior history in a sample of consecutively recruited treatment-seeking gamblers (n = 382) and compared subjects with a history of illegal acts (n = 103, 26.9%) to those with no criminal record (n = 279, 73.1%). Impulsivity and personality traits were specifically explored, along with other gambling-related severity factors. We found that gamblers who engaged in illegal activity were more likely to endorse high levels of urgency (i.e., the tendency to act out when experiencing heightened emotional states) and increased lack of premeditation. Gamblers with a history of criminal behavior also had greater GD severity levels and gambling-related debts. Additionally, these gamblers reported lower levels of self-directedness, which is characterized by difficulty in establishing and redirecting behavior toward one’s goals. Likewise, gamblers who had conducted criminal acts showed a tendency to engage in greater risk-taking behavior. These results shed new light on this understudied population and provide insights for developing targeted harm-prevention interventions and treatment protocols.

Assessing Psychopathic Traits and Criminal Behavior in a Young Adult Female Community Sample Using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale.

This study assessed psychopathic traits in a nonforensic female population (N=343). Respondents completed the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-4: Short Form (SRP-SF) and also reported on their Criminal Behavior. The results revealed relatively higher scale elevations for the Interpersonal and Lifestyle SRP-SF facets, compared to the Affective and Antisocial facets. Also, those with a history of Criminal Behavior had significantly higher SRP-SF facet scores on all four psychopathy domains, compared to those without such history. Consistent with a number of previous studies, the structural equation modeling results revealed good fit for the four-factor SRP-SF model. In addition, a super-ordinate SRP-SF factor, which accounted for the majority variance of all four SRP-SF first-order factors, also accounted for 50% of thevariance in a latent Criminal Behavior factor. Taken together, findings support use of the SRP-SF to assess psychopathic features in a moderately large sample of Belgium women.

Criminal behavior in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases can cause dysfunction of neural structures involved in judgment, executive function, emotional processing, sexual behavior, violence, and self-awareness. Such dysfunctions can lead to antisocial and criminal behavior that appears for the first time in the adult or middle-aged individual or even later in life. To investigate the frequency and type of criminal behavior among patients with a diagnosed dementing disorder. We conducted a retrospective medical record review of 2397 patients who were seen at the University of California, San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center between 1999 and 2012, including 545 patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), 171 patients with behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), 89 patients with semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia, and 30 patients with Huntington disease. Patient notes containing specific keywords denoting criminal behavior were reviewed. Data were stratified by criminal behavior type and diagnostic groups. Frequencies of criminal behavior and χ² statistics were calculated. Of the 2397 patients studied, 204 (8.5%) had a history of criminal behavior that emerged during their illness. Of the major diagnostic groups, 42 of 545 patients (7.7%) with AD, 64 of 171 patients (37.4%) with bvFTD, 24 of 89 patients (27.0%) with semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia, and 6 of 30 patients (20%) with Huntington disease exhibited criminal behavior. A total of 14% of patients with bvFTD were statistically significantly more likely to present with criminal behavior compared with 2% of patients with AD (P < .001) and 6.4% were statistically significantly more likely to exhibit violence compared with 2% of patients with AD (P = .003). Common manifestations of criminal behavior in the bvFTD group included theft, traffic violations, sexual advances, trespassing, and public urination in contrast with those in the AD group, who commonly committed traffic violations, often related to cognitive impairment. Criminal behavior is more common in patients with bvFTD and semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia than in those with AD and is more likely to be an early manifestation of the disorder. Judicial evaluations of criminality in the demented individual might require different criteria than the classic "insanity defense" used in the American legal system; these individuals should be treated differently by the law. The appearance of new-onset criminal behavior in an adult should elicit a search for frontal and anterior temporal brain disease and for dementing disorders.

Metacognition and general functioning in patients with schizophrenia and a history of criminal behavior

Metacognitive difficulties have been linked to social dysfunction in schizophrenia. However, research examining the role of metacognition in the social functioning of patients with a history of violence and criminality is very limited. This research is especially important for this group given their relatively poor prognosis and their risk to reoffend, as well as the promising benefits of integrating metacognitive approaches in psychosocial treatments. In this study, the association between metacognition and global social functioning was examined in 79 patients with schizophrenia with a criminal background. We also examined the association of positive, negative and disorganized symptoms with social functioning and the extent to which metacognition mediates this association. The results indicate that poor social functioning is associated with metacognitive difficulties and higher levels of delusions and Conceptual Disorganization. In addition, meditation analyses showed that metacognition accounted for about 11% of the total effect size of the association between delusions and social dysfunction, suggesting that the relationship between delusions and social dysfunction is partially driven by impaired metacognition. These findings underscore the importance of interventions designed to enhance the patients׳ metacognitive capacities, that is, the more proximal capacities linked to poorer social functioning.

Sources of nonmedically used prescription stimulants: Differences in onset, recency and severity of misuse in a population-based study

AimEpidemiological data indicate that nonmedical use of prescription stimulants has increased over the past decade. However, little is known regarding the source of the misused stimulants and whether different sources correspond to differences in risk profiles and associated social and health problems. MethodData from the 2006 to 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were used. A total of 4945 participants who used prescription stimulants nonmedically and also reported their source of misused stimulants were categorized by the source: friend/relative, physician and illegal. Logistic regression models compared the socio-demographic, mental health and behavioral problems, and stimulant use-related problems (onset, recency, frequency, severity) according to the source of the misused stimulants. ResultsThe most common sources of stimulants were friends/relatives, followed by physicians and illegal sources. Compared to participants reporting friends/relatives as the source, participants reporting an illegal source were more likely to be male, unemployed, have less than a high school education, a history of criminal behavior and an earlier age of use onset. Participants reporting a physician source were more likely to have mental health problems and mental health service use. Higher odds of past-month stimulant use, frequent use (≥10 days per year), drug dependence and substance service use were found in individuals reporting physician and illegal sources. ConclusionsIdentifying the source of misused stimulants may be useful in detecting distinct subgroups of nonmedical prescription stimulant users, which may inform development of tailored prevention and treatment programs and contribute to individual treatment planning.

Risk Factors of Suicide and Para Suicide in Rural Bangladesh

Background: Suicide is a public health problem too often neglected by researchers, health policy makers and the medical profession. In the year 2000, approximately one million people died of suicide which represents a global mortality rate of 16 per 100,000. According to WHO estimates for the year 2020 and based on current trends approximately 1.53 million people will die from suicide and 10-20 times more people will attempt suicide worldwide. This represents on average 1 death per 20 seconds and 1 attempt every 1-2 seconds. No nationwide survey on suicidal risk factors has yet been conducted in Bangladesh. Reports from police records, Media, court, hospitals and the focused study on selected population indicate that suicide is a public health problem in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to unearth the potential risk factors of suicide or suicidal attempts and to assess psychiatric illness, non psychiatric co-morbidity, individual’s behavioral and physical factor, familial risk factors and socio-demographic risk factors of suicide and its attempts. Study Design and Setting: A case control study was carried out by members of the Department of Medicine, Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College and Hospital at Mominpur,Haowlee and Jibonnagar unions under three Upazilla of district Chuadanga,. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 16. Results: A total 230 subjects (113 cases and 117 controls) were interviewed. Mean age among cases was 29.6±12.8 years and controls were 29.7±12.9 years.Majority of the participants, 65.5% of cases and 63.2% of controls were aged between 20-39 years. Among cases 38.9% were male and among the controls 42.7% were male.Among cases 30.1% and among controls 27.4% had less than 4 family members. More than half of the participants, among cases (58.4%) and among controls (55.6%) had between 4- 6 members in the family. Economic status was also similar in two groups.Problem of love affair (OR 5.2), Personal problem (OR 11.9), Feeling of economic hardship (OR 2.4) appeared to have statistically significant association with suicidal attempt. Problem with relatives (OR 3.8), death of near relative (OR 0.9) and poor academic performance (OR 1.6) didn’t appear to have any association with risk of suicidal attempt. History of chronic disease (OR 2.9) showed statistically significant association but long term physical disability (OR 4.4) and physical problems didn’t appear to have any significant association with suicidal attempt. History of suicidal attempt by any relative (OR 4.2) and previous attempt to suicide (OR 7.4) appeared as highly significant factor for suicide. Not being reared by biological parents (OR 3.2), marital disharmony (OR 4.0), Conflict within the family (OR 6.9) appeared to be strongly associated with suicidal attempts. Suicidal attempts of participants were significantly associated with sleeping disturbance (OR 2.3), uncertainty about future (7.2), impulsivity (OR 13.8), and history of criminal behavior (OR 2.1). Conclusion: Case control study on the risk factors of suicide in rural area of South-West Bangladesh revealed that the married female especially the younger age from unitary family of low income group are more vulnerable to commit suicide or parasuicide. Several emotional factors, presence of chronic diseases, familial suicidal predisposition, individual factor and mental state, premorbid persionality and psychiatric syndrome appeared to have significant association with suicidal attempts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jom.v14i2.19653 J Medicine 2013, 14(2): 123-129

A Swedish national adoption study of criminality

To clarify the role of genetic and environmental factors in criminal behavior (CB), we examined all CB and violent and non-violent subtypes (VCB and NVCB, respectively) in a Swedish national sample of adoptees and their relatives. CB was defined by a conviction in the Swedish Crime Register with standard definitions for VCB and NVCB subtypes. We examined adoptees born 1950-1991 (n=18070) and their biological (n=79206) and adoptive (n=47311) relatives. The risk for all CB was significantly elevated in the adopted-away offspring of biological parents of which at least one had CB [odds ratio (OR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-1.6] and in the biological full and half-siblings of CB adoptees (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6 and OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.3, respectively). A genetic risk index (including biological parental/sibling history of CB and alcohol abuse) and an environmental risk index (including adoptive parental and sibling CB and a history of adoptive parental divorce, death, and medical illness) both strongly predicted probability of CB. These genetic and environmental risk indices acted additively on adoptee risk for CB. Moderate specificity was seen in the transmission of genetic risk for VCB and NVCB between biological parents and siblings and adoptees. CB is etiologically complex and influenced by a range of genetic risk factors including a specific liability to CB and a vulnerability to broader externalizing behaviors, and by features of the adoptive environment including parental CB, divorce and death. Genetic risk factors for VCB and NVCB may be at least partially distinct.

Survey of factors related to criminal behavior in a sample of Iranian substance abusers

ObjectivesMany countries including Iran have a high rate of substance abuse. It is essential for public health and law enforcement strategies to know the causes and consequences of substance abuse and its relation to crimes. MethodsIn a prospective case–control study, covering a period of one year starting from March 21, 2010, 125 cases with criminal behavior and 125 cases with no history of criminal behavior were studied. ResultsEight percent of our studied population had a previous history of psychological disorder. Most of our cases were cigarette users (78.4%). Forty-two cases had a history of alcohol abuse (16.8%). Modern drugs were the most common type of drugs (56%) being used. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression revealed that criminal behavior was correlated with divorce (RR = 5.35; 95% CI = 1.59–16.01; P = 0.023), history of alcohol use (RR = 2.63; 95% CI = 1.11–6.22; P = 0.027), history of psychological disorder (RR = 4.97; 95% CI = 1.44–17.20; P = 0.011), Modern drug use (RR = 4.86; 95% CI = 2.01–11.76; P = 0.001) and starting drug abuse at an early age (RR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.88–0.99; P = 0.03). ConclusionsRisk factors for criminal behavior among substance abusers include being divorced, history of alcohol abuse, history of psychological disorder, modern drug abuse and starting drug abuse at an early age.

Postcode Criminals

AbstractPostcode Criminals was the second phase of an international participatory community arts project challenging negative stereotypes of urban youth. Concerned with the impact of zero tolerance community policing strategies in the UK and USA, artists Joann Kushner and Dread Scott developed an art‐based project with a social justice agenda. To give voice to an under‐represented group, the project invited high academic achievers with no history of criminal behaviour from economically and socially deprived urban communities to participate. Postcode Criminals focused on regions of Liverpool and New York, typically sites where community policing strategies had been in force for some time. The findings of this project reveal that relationships between young people, their communities and the police force have been damaged as a direct result of community policing strategies, despite the reported success in crime reduction figures. Fear of crime was found to be a greater problem in urban communities than crime itself. Young people's experiences of ‘ephebiphobia’, the fear of teenagers, were articulated, creating alternative, positive representations of themselves and providing a catalyst for improved community relations.

2831 – Addictive behaviours and criminal offences in patients with bipolar disorders

Several studies suggest mental disorders and substance misuse to be associated with a higher rate of violence and crime. The aim of this study was to determinate the correlation between addictive behaviours and criminal offences in patients suffering from bipolar disorder. Twenty-eight subjects with bipolar disorder were recruited from the forensic psychiatry service in Razi hospital and each one was compared with two patients suffering from bipolar disorder, correlated in gender and age and without history of criminal behavior. Data were analyzed using SPSS 11.5 The most frequent crimes committed by patients (about two thirds) were nonviolent (theft, pyromania, fraud, falsification of documents, damage to a property…). The rate of criminal behavior was highest during manic episodes: 51, 7%. Substance use was present in 66,7% of patients with history of criminal behavior against 30% in the comparative group. This association was significant (p = 0,002). The odds ratio was about 5. Our study suggests that comorbid bipolar disorder and addictive behavior may significantly increase the risk of criminality.

Psychiatric morbidity in prisoners

Background:Prisoners are having high percentage of psychiatric disorders. Majority of studies done so far on prisoners are from Western countries and very limited studies from India.Aim:Study socio-demographic profile of prisoners of a central jail and to find out current prevalence of psychiatric disorders in them.Materials and Methods:118 prisoners were selected by random sampling and interviewed to obtain socio-demographic data and assessed on Indian Psychiatric Interview Schedule (IPIS) with additional required questions to diagnose psychiatric disorders in prisoners.Results:Mean age of prisoners was 33.7 years with 97.5% males, 57.6% from rural areas and 65.3% were married. Average education in studied years was 6.6 years and 50.8% were unskilled workers. 47.4% were murderers while 20.3% of drugs related crimes. 47.5% were convicted and history of criminal behavior in family was in 32.2% prisoners. Current prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 33%. Psychotic, depressive, and anxiety disorders were seen in 6.7%, 16.1%, and 8.5% prisoners respectively. 58.8% had history of drug abuse/dependence prior to imprisonment.Conclusion:One prison of Hadoti region of Rajasthan is full of people with mental-health problems who collectively generate significant levels of unmet psychiatric treatment need. Prisons are detrimental to mental-health. Beginning of reforms is the immediate need.