Objective To discuss the related factors influencing the initiation time of forensic psychiatric assessment by analysis of the initiation time of forensic psychiatric assessment of criminal cases in Hunan Province. Methods Related data in assessment files of criminal cases accepted by 8 forensic psychiatric assessment institutions in Hunan Province from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2016 were extracted. The Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors influencing the initiation time of forensic psychiatric assessment. After using property score matching （PSM） to control the influence of confounding factors, the efficiency of public security organs to initiate assessments of suspects with （without） mental disorders and with （without） responsibilities were compared. Results A total of 4 346 cases were included. The Logistic regression analysis suggested that the factors independently related to the initiation time of assessment include： cause of assessment, nationality of the assessed, history of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, history of crimes, history of drug abuse, and status of alcohol consumption before the crime （all P<0.05）. The initiation time of assessment of suspects diagnosed with mental disorder was shorter than those with none （P<0.05）; the initiation time of assessment of suspects without criminal responsibility was shorter than those with responsibility （P<0.05）. After using PSM to control confounding factors, the differences above still existed. Conclusion The cause of assessment, nationality of the assessed, history of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, history of crimes, history of drug abuse, and status of alcohol consumption before the crime are factors that influence the efficiency of public security organs to initiate forensic psychiatric assessments. Under the current assessment initiation mode, forensic psychiatric assessment of suspects who have mental disorders, especially those with no responsibility may be given priority to initiate.
Crime ; Criminals ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Humans ; Mental Disorders/psychology* ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

OBJECTIVES: To explore the criminal characteristics of forensic psychiatry expertise in depression patients and schizophrenics with homicide behavior. METHODS: A total of 40 depression （depressive episode） patients and 50 schizophrenics with homicide behavior were randomly assigned into the study group and control group, respectively. Data of demographic and criminal characteristic of the two groups were collected by a self-designed questionnaire, and then were compared. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in age, education level and career between study and control groups （P>0.05）. Compared with the control group, the victims in the study group were mainly the patient's children and parents, and most offenders had suicidal behavior after homicide （70%）. In study group, the motives of crime were mainly extended suicide and indirect suicide, and most offenders had attempted suicide （85%） and diminished capacity of criminal responsibility （70%）, which in control group had no capacity of criminal responsibility （56%）. Except for criminal site, there were statistical differences in other criminal characteristics between two groups （P<0.05）. CONCLUSIONS There are different criminal characteristics between depression patients and schizophrenics with homicide behavior in forensic psychiatry, and these characteristics should be considered when these two diagnoses are distinguished in forensic psychiatry expertise.
Adult ; Child ; Criminals/psychology* ; Depression/psychology* ; Depressive Disorder ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Homicide/psychology* ; Humans ; Motivation ; Schizophrenia ; Schizophrenic Psychology ; Suicide/psychology* ; Suicide, Attempted

OBJECTIVES: To explore the characteristics of schizophrenia patients' homicide behaviors and the influences of the assessments of criminal capacity. METHODS: Indicators such as demographic and clinical data, characteristics of criminal behaviors and criminal capacity from the suspects whom were diagnosed by forensic psychiatry as schizophrenia （n=110） and normal mental （n=70） with homicide behavior, were collected by self-made investigation form and compared. The influences of the assessments of criminal capacity on the suspects diagnosed as schizophrenia were also analyzed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant statistical differences between the schizophrenic group and the normal mental group concerning age, gender, education and marital status （P>0.05）. There were significant statistical differences between the two groups concerning thought disorder, emotion state and social function before crime （P<0.05） and there were significant statistical differences in some characteristics of the case such as aggressive history （P<0.05）, cue, trigger, plan, criminal incentives, object of crime, circumstance cognition and self-protection （P<0.05）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that thought disorder, emotion state, social function, criminal incentives, plan and self-protection before crime of the schizophrenic group were positively correlated with the criminal capacity （P<0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The relevant influences of psychopathology and crime characteristics should be considered comprehensively for improving the accuracy of the criminal capacity evaluation on the suspects diagnosed as schizophrenia with homicide behavior.
Aggression/psychology* ; Crime ; Criminals ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Homicide/psychology* ; Humans ; Motivation ; Schizophrenia/diagnosis* ; Schizophrenic Psychology

Forty six patients (23 in-family and 23 out-family child sexual offenders) diagnosed with pedophilia participated in this study. For each patient, computerized objective data, obtained from the doctors, nurses, psychologists, and prosecutors involved, and the hospital information system, were collected. Immediately after the authors collected data that included any personal identifying information, it was replaced by random numbers to prevent bias and to protect privacy. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 for MS Windows. Comparative items on demographic characteristics were evaluated by a paired t test and chi-square test. Out-family child sexual offenders were younger, assaulted younger victims, and possessed a higher sexual recidivism rate than in-family sexual offenders did (P<0.05). The four scales of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory showed a significant difference between in-family and out-family child sexual offenders. There was no statistically significant difference in the victim's gender and the incidence of comorbid psychiatric disease between in-family and out-family child sexual offenders.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Child* ; Criminals* ; Forensic Medicine ; Hospital Information Systems ; Humans ; Incidence ; MMPI* ; Pedophilia* ; Privacy ; Psychology ; Sex Offenses ; Weights and Measures

Forty patients (20 male and 20 female) diagnosed with bipolar disorder voluntarily participated in this study. For each patient, questionnaire and computerized objective data, obtained from involved doctors, nurses, psychologists, prosecutors, and the hospital information system, were collected after receiving the patients'written consent. When a patient's answers diverged greatly from computerized data (i.e., onset age, history of criminal prosecution and re-hospitalization), computerized data were given priority. Immediately after the authors collected the questionnaires, any personal identifying information was replaced by random numbers to prevent bias and protect privacy. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 for MS Windows. Comparative items on questionnaires were evaluated by paired t test and chi square test. Male patients were found to have a higher recidivism rate than female patients (P<0.05). Female patients reported more trauma history (P<0.05), bipolar type II diagnoses (P<0.05), and suicide attempts (P<0.01) than male patients. There was no statistically significant difference between male and female patients for Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or for 13 of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) subscales.
Age of Onset ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Bipolar Disorder ; Criminals ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hospital Information Systems ; Hospitals, Psychiatric* ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Male ; MMPI ; Privacy ; Psychology ; Suicide

OBJECTIVE: To understand the assessment on the criminal responsibility of drug-induced mental disorders and judicial experts' opinions. METHODS: The judicial experts from institutes of forensic psychiatry in Shanghai were selected. They were asked to finish a self-made questionnaire of assessment on the criminal responsibility of drug-induced mental disorders by letters and visits. RESULTS: Most of experts knew the special regulation, "not suitable for evaluation" towards the criminal responsibility of drug-induced mental disorders of the guideline promulgated by Ministry of Justice. Before and after the guideline was issued, no expert made a no-responsibility opinion in such cases. After the guideline was issued, some experts made a full-responsibility or limited-responsibility opinion in such cases. There was a little disagreement among the experts in the case that the crime was unrelated with mental symptoms or the criminals used drugs even though he knew it could induced insanity. But there were still many obvious disagreements among experts in the case that crime was related to such symptoms and person was no ability to debate. Most experts agreed to settle the disagreements with improved legislative perfection. CONCLUSION Most experts are not strictly complying with the assessment guidelines during their practice, and there is still an obvious disagreement towards the criminal responsibility of drug-induced mental disorders.
China ; Crime/psychology* ; Criminals/psychology* ; Data Collection ; Expert Testimony ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Humans ; Liability, Legal ; Male ; Mental Competency ; Mental Disorders/psychology* ; Psychotic Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires

INTRODUCTIONIn Singapore, theft and related crimes constitute more than 50% of all reported crime, and are the most common offences committed by accused persons remanded to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Singapore. There is a need for better understanding of the forensic psychiatric aspects of such offenders. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among theft offenders remanded or referred for forensic assessment in 2010, compare the differences between first-time and repeat theft offenders, and identify the factors associated with reoffence.

METHODSForensic evaluations of inpatient and outpatient theft offenders that were conducted at IMH in the year 2010 were retrieved and reviewed. The sociodemographic and clinical data of first-time and repeat theft offenders were collected and compared using Student's t-test and chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariate regression was used to identify the factors that were predictive of repeat offence.

RESULTSOverall, 10% of offenders had no mental illness. Substance use disorders, mood disorders and psychotic disorders were the most common diagnoses. Psychotic disorders were significantly less common in repeat offenders. Repeat offenders also tended to have a history of conduct problems in childhood. Noncompliance with psychiatric treatment was positively associated with repeat offence, while psychotic disorders were negatively associated.

CONCLUSIONThe pattern of psychiatric morbidity among theft offenders in Singapore has changed over the last ten years. Kleptomania remains rare. Significant differences between first-time and repeat offenders have implications on the treatment, follow-up and rehabilitation of theft offenders in Singapore.

Adult ; Crime ; Criminals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Psychiatry ; methods ; Singapore ; Substance-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Theft

OBJECTIVE: According with Chinese legal system, to develop a competency to stand trial rating scale in offenders with mental disorders. METHODS: Proceeding from the juristical elements, 15 items were extracted and formulated a preliminary instrument named the competency to stand trial rating scale in offenders with mental disorders. The item analysis included six aspects, which were critical ratio, item-total correlation, corrected item-total correlation, alpha value if item deleted, communalities of items, and factor loading. The Logistic regression equation and cut-off score of ROC curve were used to explore the diagnostic efficiency. RESULTS: The data of critical ratio of extreme group were 18.390-46.763; item-total correlation, 0.639-0.952; corrected item-total correlation, 0.582-0.944; communalities of items, 0.377-0.916; and factor loadings, 0.614-0.957. Seven items were included in the regression equation and the accuracy of back substitution test was 96.0%. The score of 33 was ascertained as the cut-off score by ROC fitting curve, the overlapping ratio compared with the expertise was 95.8%. The sensibility and the specificity were 0.938 and 0.966, respectively, while the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 27.67 and 0.06, respectively. CONCLUSION With all items satisfied the requirement of homogeneity test, the rating scale has a reasonable construct and excellent diagnostic efficiency.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Criminals/psychology* ; Female ; Forensic Psychiatry/methods* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Competency/psychology* ; Mental Disorders/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of recidivism in patients with mental disorders, including criminology, clinic and guardianship, in order to provide references for preventing recidivism. METHODS: Using the self-designed questionnaire, 156 psychotic patients who had repeated crimes were appraised by West China Forensic Science Center of Sichuan University from 2007 to 2011 and the data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: In the majority of these cases, patients were male, 26-45 years old, junior high school or below diploma, unmarried, and farmers or jobless. Each patient broke law 3.26 times on average. The main crimes were intentional injury (34.6%) and murder (15.7%). Within 5 years after diagnosis with mental disorder, 56.4% of the patients committed first crime. Within 1 year after the first time breaking the law, 55.8% of them repeated crimes. The diagnoses of schizophrenia (63.5%) were in the majority. The assessment results were mostly irresponsibility (61.5%). Among the patients, 44.9% of them didn't receive treatment while 34.6% of them were out of supervision. After the first crime, 66.1% of them didn't receive criminal prosecution while only 7.1% of them went through the appraisement of forensic psychiatry. CONCLUSION Most of the patients had low education and low income. Meanwhile, low outpatient rate and pool supervision occurred in this special crowd. A good system for care and treatment of these mental patients should be built to prevent them from recidivism.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Crime/statistics & numerical data* ; Criminals ; Educational Status ; Female ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Homicide/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Liability, Legal ; Male ; Mental Disorders/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; Personality Disorders/psychology* ; Recurrence ; Schizophrenia/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Violence/statistics & numerical data* ; Young Adult

Competency to stand trial relates directly to legal rights of the appraised individual as well as whether criminal procedure can be carried out smoothly. Foreign scholars have conducted a large number of theoretical researches, and developed a series of standardized evaluation tools. However, the assessment on competency to stand trial has mainly focused on medical criteria in China for a long time, and most cases were judged by forensic psychiatrists' experience. Recently, Chinese scholars have started the initial research on standardized evaluation. This paper reviews the notion of competency to stand trial, the evaluation criteria, and the assessment tools domestically and abroad. The main focus is on foreign assessment tools, which included three categories. First category includes checklist, self-report questionnaires and sentence-completion tasks. Second category is the interview-based instruments without criterion-based scoring. Last category is the interview-based instruments with criterion-based scoring. This literature may be helpful for further research and standardization on assessment tools of competency to stand trial of mentally disordered offenders.
Crime/psychology* ; Criminal Law/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Criminals/psychology* ; Forensic Psychiatry/standards* ; Humans ; Insanity Defense ; Mental Competency/psychology* ; Mental Disorders/psychology* ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Psychological Tests ; Reference Standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires