Temperament and character in homicidal patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

Background: Understanding the etiology of violence in patients with schizophrenia is an issue of great clinical and public importance. Although personality traits are an important aspect in determining complex behaviors of schizophrenia patients, there is a lack of research on the relationship between personality traits and violence, especially homicidal behavior, in this population.

Aim: We aimed to compare temperament and character dimensions between homicidal and other mostly violent forensic patients with schizophrenia, and to determine which temperament and character dimensions are associated with homicidal behavior in these patients.

Methods: We recruited 71 male forensic schizophrenia patients without concomitant substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder. The patients were divided into two groups according to trial documentation as: (1) Homicide and attempted homicide group (N 30; 42%), and (2) Other offenses group (N 41; 58%). Patients were assessed by means of the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Differences between groups were tested with t-test.

Results: The two groups of patients were similar in their PANSS scores, but the homicidal men were significantly more likely to show higher harm avoidance (HA) scores than the less violent comparison men (t = 2,876, df-69, p = 0.005).

Conclusions: Our results indicate that forensic schizophrenic patients with higher HA scores would show a greater risk of homicidal violence. Improved understanding of personality traits associated with such behavior is needed in order to prevent homicidal behavior. Importance of these results suggests that further study is needed.

Keywords:

• Schizophrenia
• violence
• homicide
• Temperament and Character

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the patients who participated in the study, and Drs Hrastić, Magerle, Petković and Žarković Palijan for their contributions to recruitment.

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no conflict of interest in preparation of this manuscript

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Branimir Margetić

Branimir Margetić, MD, PhD is a clinical psychiatrist and researcher at the Department of Psychiatry, Clinical hospital Dubrava. Dr. Margetić is the author of over 50 original peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals. His research interests include the relationship between personality and behavior and side effects of psychopharmacological medications.

Branka Aukst Margetić

Branka Aukst Margetić, MD, PhD is an assistant professor of psychiatry. She is the author of over 80 original peer-reviewed publications. Her research interests include consultation-liaison psychiatry and the relationship between psycho-social influences and health in patients diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia and chronic somatic illnesses.

Dragutin Ivanec

Dragutin Ivanec, PhD, professor of psychology. The main fields of his research interest are psychological aspects of pain perception, and the influence of the psychosocial context on behavior. He teaches at university level methodology of experimental psychology, psychology of pain, and statistics for psychologists.