The temporal relationship between schizophrenia and crime

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the temporal relationship between illness onset and the possible beginning of a criminal career among people with schizophrenia, even though criminality, especially violent criminality, has been shown to be more common among people with schizophrenia than among people in general.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the temporal relationship between registered crime and contact to the psychiatric hospital system.

Method: This is a register-based study merging data on the psychiatric career with criminal records.

Results: Among the males with schizophrenia, 37% started a criminal career and 13% had committed first violent crime before first contact with the psychiatric hospital system.

Conclusion: The criminality committed before first contact to the psychiatric hospital system is substantial, especially among males with schizophrenia.