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Madness as the Foundation of Non-Culpability

Höglund, Pontus LU (2015) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2015:145.
Abstract
Doctoral dissertation

Abstract



Background

The relation between mental illness and accountability, may at its best be described as unclear. A negative correlation them between was established thousands of years ago, and has since formed a more or less self-evident supposition. This dissertation is an effort to test this construction.



Aims and hypothesis

The overall aim of this thesis is to clarify the relation between mental illness and accountability and to scrutinize which variables may be considered to be of importance and significance when deliberating on someone’s criminal responsibility.



Methods

Initially some central notions were... (More)
Doctoral dissertation

Abstract



Background

The relation between mental illness and accountability, may at its best be described as unclear. A negative correlation them between was established thousands of years ago, and has since formed a more or less self-evident supposition. This dissertation is an effort to test this construction.



Aims and hypothesis

The overall aim of this thesis is to clarify the relation between mental illness and accountability and to scrutinize which variables may be considered to be of importance and significance when deliberating on someone’s criminal responsibility.



Methods

Initially some central notions were conceptually analysed. The next step consisted of interviews with Swedish forensic psychiatric patients (n=46) and professionals (n=150). Patients were asked to describe their experience of the circumstances leading up to the crime. Professionals were asked to assess 12 psychiatric diagnostic in terms of negative influence on accountability.



Results

Swedish forensic patients (i) point to other circumstances than mental illness as the main cause of their crime and (ii) regardless of main psychiatric diagnosis sued to have been aware of the nature their action, stressing (iii) damaged action control and inability to identify attractive action alternatives. Swedish forensic professionals (i) stated to a large extent that they never before had acknowledge this relationship and (ii) regardless of sex, age, working experience, education and geographical location no significant differences was found in the result of their assessments.



Conclusions

The (i) understanding, (ii) diagnostics and (iii) treatment of persons with dysfunctional behaviour patterns will most certainly benefit from a paradigm shift, in which unconscious consensus and self-evident artefacts are replaced by first person experiences and skilled professional responsiveness. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Bitr Professor Juth, Niklas, LIME, Karolinska Intsitutet, Stockholm
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
criminal responsibility, psychiatric care, psychiatric diagnostics, accountability, Mental illness
categories
Higher Education
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2015:145
pages
132 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
Fernströmsalen, Biomedicinskt centrum, Sölvegatan 19, Lund
defense date
2015-12-16 13:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
978-91-7619-225-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bd000597-98b8-4590-9233-0810f8baf2ef (old id 8230955)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:18:22
date last changed
2019-05-21 21:40:45
@phdthesis{bd000597-98b8-4590-9233-0810f8baf2ef,
  abstract     = {{Doctoral dissertation<br/><br>
Abstract <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Background <br/><br>
The relation between mental illness and accountability, may at its best be described as unclear. A negative correlation them between was established thousands of years ago, and has since formed a more or less self-evident supposition. This dissertation is an effort to test this construction.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Aims and hypothesis <br/><br>
The overall aim of this thesis is to clarify the relation between mental illness and accountability and to scrutinize which variables may be considered to be of importance and significance when deliberating on someone’s criminal responsibility. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Methods <br/><br>
Initially some central notions were conceptually analysed. The next step consisted of interviews with Swedish forensic psychiatric patients (n=46) and professionals (n=150). Patients were asked to describe their experience of the circumstances leading up to the crime. Professionals were asked to assess 12 psychiatric diagnostic in terms of negative influence on accountability. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results<br/><br>
Swedish forensic patients (i) point to other circumstances than mental illness as the main cause of their crime and (ii) regardless of main psychiatric diagnosis sued to have been aware of the nature their action, stressing (iii) damaged action control and inability to identify attractive action alternatives. Swedish forensic professionals (i) stated to a large extent that they never before had acknowledge this relationship and (ii) regardless of sex, age, working experience, education and geographical location no significant differences was found in the result of their assessments.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusions<br/><br>
The (i) understanding, (ii) diagnostics and (iii) treatment of persons with dysfunctional behaviour patterns will most certainly benefit from a paradigm shift, in which unconscious consensus and self-evident artefacts are replaced by first person experiences and skilled professional responsiveness.}},
  author       = {{Höglund, Pontus}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-7619-225-2}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  keywords     = {{criminal responsibility; psychiatric care; psychiatric diagnostics; accountability; Mental illness}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{Madness as the Foundation of Non-Culpability}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3290695/8230956.pdf}},
  volume       = {{2015:145}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}