Crime and Violence among Psychiatric Patients in a Maximum Security Psychiatric Hospital

Abstract

Data on crime and aggression, psychopathology, and early adjustment problems were examined for 94 consecutively admitted patients to a national maximum security psychiatric unit. A majority of the patients had a criminal record. Aggression inside and outside institutional settings was frequent, as were early adjustment problems. Factor analysis suggested five types of crime/aggression patterns: a nonviolent pattern, a pattern involving aggression/violence in an institutional setting, a sexual violence pattern, a homicidal aggressive pattern, and an arson pattern. These patterns evidenced both overlap and distinctiveness in their psychopathology-related correlates. The most frequent significant correlates were the presence of an Axis II diagnosis, psychopathy, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse. Axis I diagnoses and other symptom variables poorly predicted crime/aggression patterns.