The prevalence of early onset alcohol abuse in mentally disordered offenders

Abstract

The alcohol consumption histories of 563 male patients resident at Broadmoor Hospital over the period 1997–2002 were ascertained from inspection of patients' case files. Information regarding alcohol consumption was obtained from patients' forensic and psychiatric reports and, for a sub-set of the sample (n = 101), from reports of drug and alcohol assessments. Patients were grouped according to whether or not they had abused alcohol (consumed greater than 50 units per week) and, if so, by age of onset of their alcohol abuse: prior to age 19, 19–21, or over 21 years. Forensic and psychiatric reports indicated that 47.4% of the sample had abused alcohol and 22.0% started to abuse before the age of 19. The 70.3% of patients who underwent drug and alcohol assessment were found to have abused alcohol and 48.5% had abused alcohol under the age of 19. These findings underline the high prevalence of early onset alcohol abuse among high-security mentally disordered offenders, and indicate the need for studies that address the intervening variables that mediate the link between teenage alcohol abuse and adult antisocial behaviour.

Keywords:

• High security
• alcohol abuse
• early onset

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the BIAL Foundation (project 19/00). We acknowledge the advice, support, and assistance of M. Quayle, D. Perkins, and R. Salmon.