Major mental disorders and criminal violence in a Danish birth cohort

Background: This epidemiological investigation was designed to examine the relationships between each of the major mental disorders and criminal viole nce. Specifically, we assessed whether a significant relationship exists be tween violence and hospitalization for a major mental disorder, and whether this relationship differs for schizophrenia, affective psychoses and organ ic brain syndromes. Methods: Subjects were drawn from a birth cohort of all individuals born be tween January 1, 1933, and December 31, 1947, in Denmark (N = 358 180). Bec ause of the existence of accurate and complete national registers, data wer e available on all arrests for violence and all hospitalizations for mental illness that occurred for individuals in this cohort through the age of 44 years. Results: There was a significant positive relationship between the major me ntal disorders that led to hospitalization and criminal violence (odds: rat ios 2.0-8.8 for men and 3.9-23.2 for women). Persons hospitalized for a maj or mental disorder were responsible for a disproportionate percentage of vi olence committed by the members of the birth cohort. Men with organic psych oses and both men and women with schizophrenia were significantly more like ly to be arrested For criminal violence than were persons who had never bee n hospitalized, even when controlling for demographic factors, substance ab use, and personality disorders. Conclusions: Individuals hospitalized for schizophrenia and men hospitalize d with organic psychosis have higher rates of arrests for violence than tho se never hospitalized. This relationship cannot be fully explained by demog raphic factors or comorbid substance abuse.