Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T20:54:49.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Rates of mental disorder in people convicted of homicide

National clinical survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Jenny Shaw ,
Isabelle M. Hunt ,
Sandra Flynn ,
Janet Meehan ,
Jo Robinson ,
Harriet Bickley ,
Rebecca Parsons ,
Kerry McCann ,
James Burns  and
Tim Amos
...Show all authors
Jenny Shaw
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Isabelle M. Hunt
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Sandra Flynn
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Janet Meehan
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Jo Robinson
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Harriet Bickley
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Rebecca Parsons
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Kerry McCann
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
James Burns
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Tim Amos
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Navneet Kapur
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Louis Appleby*
Affiliation:
Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
*
Professor Louis Appleby, Centre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Background

Previous studies of people convicted of homicide have used different definitions of mental disorder.

Aims

To estimate the rate of mental disorder in people convicted of homicide; to examine the relationship between definitions, verdict and outcome in court.

Method

A national clinical survey of people convicted of homicide (n=1594) in England and Wales (1996–1999). Rates of mental disorder were estimated based on: lifetime diagnosis, mental illness at the time of the offence, contact with psychiatric services, diminished responsibility verdict and hospital disposal.

Results

Of the 1594, 545 (34%) had a mental disorder: most had not attended psychiatric services; 85 (5%) had schizophrenia (lifetime); 164 (10%) had symptoms of mental illness at the time of the offence; 149 (9%) received a diminished responsibility verdict and 111 (7%) a hospital disposal – both were associated with severe mental illness and symptoms of psychosis.

Conclusions

The findings suggest an association between schizophrenia and conviction for homicide. Most perpetrators with a history of mental disorder were not acutely ill or under mental healthcare at the time of the offence. Some perpetrators receive prison sentences despite having severe mental illness.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 188 , Issue 2 , February 2006 , pp. 143 - 147
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Footnotes

†

See pp. 129–134 and 135–142, this issue.

Declaration of Interest

L.A. is the National Director of Mental Health for England. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

References

Appleby, L., Shaw, J., Amos, T., et al (1999) Safer Services. Report of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Appleby, L., Shaw, J., Sherratt, J., et al (2001) Safety First: Five-Year Report of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Arsenault, L., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., et al (2000) Mental disorders and violence in a total birth cohort. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57, 979–986.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brennan, P. A., Grekin, E. R. & Vanman, E. J. (2000) Major mental disorders and crime in the community. In Violence Among the Mentally Ill (ed. Hodgins, S.). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
Gudjonsson, G. H. & Petursson, H. (1986) Changing characteristics of homicide in Iceland. Medical Science and Law, 26, 299–303.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hodgins, S. (1992) Mental disorder, intellectual deficiency and crime. Evidence from a birth cohort. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 476–483.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Linqvist, P. & Allebeck, P. (1990) Schizophrenia and crime. A longitudinal follow-up of 644 schizophrenics in Stockholm. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 345–350.Google Scholar
Meltzer, H. (1995) OPCS Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity in Great Britain. London: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.Google Scholar
National Institute for Mental Health in England (2005) Offender Mental Health Care Pathway. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Phelan, J. C. & Link, B. G. (1998) The growing belief that people with mental illnesses are violent: the role of the dangerousness criterion for civil commitment. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 33, S7–S12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swanson, J. W., Holzer, C. F., Ganju, V. K., et al (1990) Violence and psychiatric disorder in the community. Evidence from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Surveys. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 41, 761–770.Google ScholarPubMed
Taylor, P. J. & Gunn, J. (1999) Homicides by people with mental illness: myth and reality. British Journal of Psychiatry, 174, 9–14.Google Scholar
Tiihonen, J., Isohanni, M., Raesaenen, P., et al (1997) Specific major mental disorders and criminality. A 26-year prospective study of the 1996 Northern Finland Birth Cohort. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 840–845.Google Scholar
Wong, M. & Singer, K. (1973) Abnormal homicide in Hong Kong. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 295–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (1992) The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.