Explanations for violent behaviour : An interview study among forensic in-patients
(2014) In International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 37(2). p.142-148- Abstract
The alleged relation between mental disorder and violent criminal behaviour has been investigated mainly from an epidemiological perspective. Population-based registry studies have shown that violence occurs more frequently among people with mental disorders, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, compared with control subjects, but that the increased risk is largely mediated by drug abuse and socio-economic deprivation. The aim of this study was to explore how patients who have committed violent or sexual crimes and have been sentenced to forensic psychiatric care by a Swedish court of law construed their criminal actions in terms of causes. Forty-six participants from six different Swedish forensic psychiatric clinics were included... (More)
The alleged relation between mental disorder and violent criminal behaviour has been investigated mainly from an epidemiological perspective. Population-based registry studies have shown that violence occurs more frequently among people with mental disorders, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, compared with control subjects, but that the increased risk is largely mediated by drug abuse and socio-economic deprivation. The aim of this study was to explore how patients who have committed violent or sexual crimes and have been sentenced to forensic psychiatric care by a Swedish court of law construed their criminal actions in terms of causes. Forty-six participants from six different Swedish forensic psychiatric clinics were included in the study. A semi-structured interview study was conducted and the data was analysed using a thematic analysis. A large group of the participants did not believe that the mental disorder played any role in the criminal events. Contributing causes that were mentioned were drug abuse and social factors.
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- author
- Radovic, Susanna and Höglund, Pontus LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2014-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Cause, Crime, Mental disorder, Qualitative research
- in
- International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
- volume
- 37
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 142 - 148
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84893824636
- pmid:24314798
- ISSN
- 0160-2527
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.11.011
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- be6031ce-6475-49cf-a38d-2380f0354bbe
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-03 13:14:33
- date last changed
- 2026-06-03 13:17:14
@article{be6031ce-6475-49cf-a38d-2380f0354bbe,
abstract = {{<p>The alleged relation between mental disorder and violent criminal behaviour has been investigated mainly from an epidemiological perspective. Population-based registry studies have shown that violence occurs more frequently among people with mental disorders, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, compared with control subjects, but that the increased risk is largely mediated by drug abuse and socio-economic deprivation. The aim of this study was to explore how patients who have committed violent or sexual crimes and have been sentenced to forensic psychiatric care by a Swedish court of law construed their criminal actions in terms of causes. Forty-six participants from six different Swedish forensic psychiatric clinics were included in the study. A semi-structured interview study was conducted and the data was analysed using a thematic analysis. A large group of the participants did not believe that the mental disorder played any role in the criminal events. Contributing causes that were mentioned were drug abuse and social factors.</p>}},
author = {{Radovic, Susanna and Höglund, Pontus}},
issn = {{0160-2527}},
keywords = {{Cause; Crime; Mental disorder; Qualitative research}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{142--148}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{International Journal of Law and Psychiatry}},
title = {{Explanations for violent behaviour : An interview study among forensic in-patients}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.11.011}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.11.011}},
volume = {{37}},
year = {{2014}},
}