PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS AND CRIME WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ALCOHOLISM: A STUDY OF 223 CRIMINALS

Abstract

A systematic, structured psychiatric interview was carried out with 223 consecutive male criminals. Of the men 48% received no psychiatric diagnosis exclusive of sociopathic personality. Fifty-two per cent had some other psychiatric disorder. The prevalence figures for individual psychiatric disorders were as follows: alcoholism, 43%; drug addiction, 5%; anxiety neurosis, 12%; homosexuality, schizophrenia and epilepsy, 1% each, mental deficiency, dementia, and undiagnosed psychiatric illness, less than 1% each. Alcoholism was shown to be associated with an increased family history of alcoholism and suicide, and an increased personal history of suicide attempts, wanderlust, military service difficulties, fighting, job troubles and arrests.