AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PERSONALITY-CHARACTERISTICS OF MENTALLY DISORDERED OFFENDERS DETAINED UNDER THE MENTAL-HEALTH ACT

Although the debate over the use of the legal classification of psycho pathic disorder has been prolific, little research has been conducted in examining how the term is being used in current practice. This stud y used a retrospective case-note analysis to investigate the character istics of patients who had been detained under the Mental Health Act 1 953 at a regional secure unit (RSU) since 1987. The sample included al l individual inpatients referred to, and assessed by, the clinical psy chology department. for whom data from the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory were also available. No differences were found between offen ders detained under 'psychopathic disorder' and those legally classifi ed as mentally ill' with respect to admission details and offending ch aracteristics, Those people detained under 'psychopathic disorder' dem onstrated the presence of more antisocial features. The results from a cluster analysis of the MCMI personality scales supported Blackburn's (1975) typology. The cluster analysis demonstrated the limitations of the term psychopathic disorder' to define a particular group of menta lly disordered offenders.