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Neuropsychiatric indices in a high security admission sample I: estimating the prevalence
Author(s) -
Lumsden John,
Chesterman L. Paul,
Hill G. Mary
Publication year - 1998
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.268
Subject(s) - population , medicine , neuropsychology , head injury , head trauma , psychiatry , pediatrics , surgery , environmental health , cognition
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.