HOMICIDES IN RESIDENTIAL HOMES - THE PRICE OF SAVINGS IN MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICES

We analysed 13 patients who had committed serious violent crimes and w ere in Finnish psychiatric residential homes. All patients suffered fr om schizophrenia (according to the DSM-III-R [American Psychiatric Ass ociation, 1987]) and the majority from the paranoid type. Previous agg ressive behaviour, lack of insight into their illness, and alcohol abu se were typical. Placing patients with these features in residential h omes should be avoided because these characteristics may lead to non-c ompliance with psychopharmacological medication, which may have fatal consequences.