Criminal harassment by patients with mental disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether there is a subgroup of persons with mental disorders who engage in criminal harassment and to determine whether substance abuse is a cofactor in this behaviour.


METHODS
A cross-sectional casenote study was used to examine incidents of harassment by patients prior to admission to acute and forensic wards (n = 106) at a provincial psychiatric hospital.


RESULTS
Of 106 patients, 8 (7.5%) were found to have engaged in behaviour defined as criminal harassment prior to admission. Only 1 was charged under Section 264 of the Criminal Code. Alcohol was a cofactor in only 1 case.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of persons with a mental disorder who engage in criminal harassment prior to admission is relatively small. The behaviour is not usually identified at any stage of the admission as criminal harassment. Although substance-abuse problems were prevalent, substance use was not a concomitant risk factor for behaviour defined as criminal harassment.
University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. sadams@onlink.net
S J
SJ
Adams
N L
NL
Pitre
A
A
Smith
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D011287:Prejudice; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*