Neuropsychiatric indices in a high security admission sample I: estimating the prevalence

A consecutive series of 100 admissions to a high security hospital is reported. In this paper the demographic characteristics of the population, their offence profiles and other details of their background are described. The findings indicate a high prevalence of trauma to the central nervous system in this population. Definite obstetric complications were found in 26% (compared with 8% of the general population) and 31% had a history of head injury with loss of consciousness. These forms of central nervous system (CNS) trauma are associated with neuropsychological impairment, which was found in 59%. Of the population with brain scans, about 36% were abnormal. Alcohol abuse, a significant risk factor for CNS damage, was found in 69%. Combined risk (obstetric complications, head injury and substance abuse) was noted in 90% of the population. The present findings suggest that different forms of CNS trauma may aggregate as a result of a number of antecedent and consequent phenomena in this population. Copyright © 1998 Whurr Publishers Ltd.