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Homicidal behaviour among people with avoidant, dependent and obsessive–compulsive (cluster C) personality disorder
Author(s) -
Laajasalo Taina,
Ylipekka Mikko,
HäkkänenNyholm Helinä
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
criminal behaviour and mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1471-2857
pISSN - 0957-9664
DOI - 10.1002/cbm.1844
Subject(s) - psychology , personality disorders , homicide , personality , avoidant personality disorder , psychiatry , remorse , clinical psychology , feeling , antisocial personality disorder , forensic psychiatry , depression (economics) , cluster (spacecraft) , poison control , suicide prevention , injury prevention , medicine , medical emergency , social psychology , economics , macroeconomics , computer science , programming language
Background Despite a growing forensic psychiatry literature, no previous study has examined in detail homicidal behaviour among offenders with cluster C personality disorders – the avoidant, dependent or obsessional personality disorders. Aims This study aims to compare homicide offenders with cluster C personality disorders with those with other personality disorders on criminal history, offender–victim relationship and post‐offence reaction variables. Methods The sample was drawn from all Finnish homicide cases of 1996–2004 for whom a forensic psychiatric evaluation had been conducted. Data were extracted from forensic psychiatric and crime reports. Results In a nationwide sample of 593 homicide offenders, 21 had at least one cluster C personality disorder. These offenders had significantly shorter criminal histories than the others. Offender–victim relationship did not differ between the groups, but confession to the crime and feelings of remorse were more common among people with cluster C disorders. In addition, compared with other personality disorder clusters, co‐morbid depression was more common. Conclusions Cluster C personality disorders are rare, but not nonexistent, among homicide offenders. Observed differences in their backgrounds and post‐offence behaviours indicate that they may have special needs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.