KRM 310(B) - UNIT 4
UNIT 4: CRIME & MENTAL DISORDERS
Not all who have a mental illness commit crime
When they do = they more often commit minor crimes & commit less major crimes
1) MENTAL ILLNESS
MENTAL ILLNESS : a disorder of the mind that interferes substantially with a person’s ability to cope with
everyday life
ILLNESS : behaviour that deviates notably from normal behaviour (cannot be explained logically)
Illness is still used = but changed to disorder in practice/academia as it’s less restrictive
INTELLECTUAL D ISABILITY/ME NTAL RETARD ATION : cognitive deficiency that can’t be cured
Measure by standardised IQ tests
2) DSM & ICD CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
DSM-5 : Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Defines & diagnose specific mental disorders
ICD-10 : International Classification of Disease
Devised by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
Certain disorders in the DSM can be associated with crime (not necessarily serious criminal conduct)
Important to remember that persons with a disorder aren’t crime prone & they may still be held
accountable for criminal conduct
Most relevant disorders are = schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder & antisocial
personality disorder
3) SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM & OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS
Exhibit highly bizarre actions = disturbances in cognition, emotional responses & behaviour
Features: Delusions, Hallucinations, disorganised thinking & Grossly disorganised motor behaviour
Diminished emotional expression & extreme social withdrawal
Disorganised speech & Inappropriate affect (emotions = ex. give bad news & person smiles)
DELUSIONS : false beliefs about the world
HALLUCINAT IONS : sense/perceive things other don’t
Small proportion crimes are committed by schizophrenics = when they do it’s more violent than typical
violent crime
TYPES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
DISORGANISED
CATATONIC (lying still in one position = will go back to that position if moved)
PARANOID (schizophrenics who commit crime are more often this type)
UNDIFFERENTIATED (cannot be classified into other types due to symptoms)
4) DELUSIONAL DISORDERS (PARANOID DISORDER)
Included under schizophrenia spectrum
Presence of 1/more non-bizarre delusions for at least a month (persecutory beliefs)
Reasonably believable delusions & not far-fetched = NO psychotic symptoms
UNIT 4: CRIME & MENTAL DISORDERS
Not all who have a mental illness commit crime
When they do = they more often commit minor crimes & commit less major crimes
1) MENTAL ILLNESS
MENTAL ILLNESS : a disorder of the mind that interferes substantially with a person’s ability to cope with
everyday life
ILLNESS : behaviour that deviates notably from normal behaviour (cannot be explained logically)
Illness is still used = but changed to disorder in practice/academia as it’s less restrictive
INTELLECTUAL D ISABILITY/ME NTAL RETARD ATION : cognitive deficiency that can’t be cured
Measure by standardised IQ tests
2) DSM & ICD CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
DSM-5 : Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Defines & diagnose specific mental disorders
ICD-10 : International Classification of Disease
Devised by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
Certain disorders in the DSM can be associated with crime (not necessarily serious criminal conduct)
Important to remember that persons with a disorder aren’t crime prone & they may still be held
accountable for criminal conduct
Most relevant disorders are = schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder & antisocial
personality disorder
3) SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM & OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS
Exhibit highly bizarre actions = disturbances in cognition, emotional responses & behaviour
Features: Delusions, Hallucinations, disorganised thinking & Grossly disorganised motor behaviour
Diminished emotional expression & extreme social withdrawal
Disorganised speech & Inappropriate affect (emotions = ex. give bad news & person smiles)
DELUSIONS : false beliefs about the world
HALLUCINAT IONS : sense/perceive things other don’t
Small proportion crimes are committed by schizophrenics = when they do it’s more violent than typical
violent crime
TYPES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
DISORGANISED
CATATONIC (lying still in one position = will go back to that position if moved)
PARANOID (schizophrenics who commit crime are more often this type)
UNDIFFERENTIATED (cannot be classified into other types due to symptoms)
4) DELUSIONAL DISORDERS (PARANOID DISORDER)
Included under schizophrenia spectrum
Presence of 1/more non-bizarre delusions for at least a month (persecutory beliefs)
Reasonably believable delusions & not far-fetched = NO psychotic symptoms
