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Criminality and psychopathy as related to thyroid activity in former juvenile delinquents
Author(s) -
Alm P. O.,
Af Klinteberg B.,
Humble K.,
Leppert J.,
Sörensen S.,
Tegelman R.,
Thorell L.H.,
Lidberg L
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1996.tb09834.x
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , psychopathy , juvenile , psychology , antisocial personality disorder , personality , developmental psychology , poison control , injury prevention , medicine , medical emergency , social psychology , biology , genetics
Levels of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH), psychopathy‐related personality traits and criminality from the age of 15 years onward were examined in 70 former juvenile delinquents and 35 control subjects aged 38–46 years. T 3 levels were significantly associated with criminality but not with psychopathy‐related personality traits. TSH levels were not related to any of these variables. Juvenile delinquents who displayed persistent criminal behaviour were found to have higher mean T 3 levels than juvenile delinquents who did not display criminality in adulthood and non‐criminal controls. Former juvenile delinquents with T, levels above the mean level found in the controls were registered for criminality 3.8 times more often than juvenile delinquents with T 3 levels below the mean level found in the control group. The results are discussed in terms of elevated T 3 levels representing a compensatory or stress phenomenon for low social adaptive ability of individuals who display persistent criminal behaviour.