Criminal behaviors and substance use disorder in psychiatric patients

• Published in: CNS spectrums 2024-06, p.1
• Main Authors: Achilli, Francesco, Leo, Silvia, Benatti, Beatrice, Frediani, Alice, Cocchi, Maddalena, Molteni, Laura, Piccoli, Eleonora, Lana, Monica, Lucchini, Emma, Gobbo, Dario, Dell'Osso, Bernardo M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1092-8529
• DOI: 10.1017/S1092852924000373

People with mental illness are overrepresented throughout the criminal justice system. In Italy, the Judicial Psychiatric Hospitals are now on the edge of their closure in favor of small-scale therapeutic facilities (REMS). Therefore, when patients end their duty for criminal behaviors, their clinical management moves back to the outpatient psychiatric centers. Elevated risks of rule-violating behavior are not equally shared across the spectrum of psychiatric disorders. To broaden the research in this area, we analyzed sociodemographic, clinical, and forensic variables of a group of psychiatric patients with a history of criminal behaviors, attending an outpatient psychiatric service in Milan, focusing on substance use disorder (SUD).OBJECTIVEPeople with mental illness are overrepresented throughout the criminal justice system. In Italy, the Judicial Psychiatric Hospitals are now on the edge of their closure in favor of small-scale therapeutic facilities (REMS). Therefore, when patients end their duty for criminal behaviors, their clinical management moves back to the outpatient psychiatric centers. Elevated risks of rule-violating behavior are not equally shared across the spectrum of psychiatric disorders. To broaden the research in this area, we analyzed sociodemographic, clinical, and forensic variables of a group of psychiatric patients with a history of criminal behaviors, attending an outpatient psychiatric service in Milan, focusing on substance use disorder (SUD).This is a cross-sectional single center study, conducted from 2020. Seventy-six subjects with a history of criminal behaviors aged 18 years or older and attending an outpatient psychiatric service were included. Demographic and clinical variables collected during clinical interviews with patients were retrospectively retrieved from patients' medical records. Appropriate statistical analyses for categorical and continuous variables were conducted.METHODSThis is a cross-sectional single center study, conducted from 2020. Seventy-six subjects with a history of criminal behaviors aged 18 years or older and attending an outpatient psychiatric service were included. Demographic and clinical variables collected during clinical interviews with patients were retrospectively retrieved from patients' medical records. Appropriate statistical analyses for categorical and continuous variables were conducted.Data were available for 76 patients, 51.3% of them had lifetime SUD. Lifetime SUD was significan