title: Delinquency and criminal offenses in former schizophrenic inpatients 7-12 years following discharge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previously, we reported a high prevalence of aggression in a large sample of schizophrenic patients treated between 1990-1995 in the psychiatric hospital of the University of Munich.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of criminal offences and delinquency in former schizophrenic inpatients following discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  With permission of the German General Attorney we reviewed the national criminal register records of criminal offences of these patients for a 7-12 year period following discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  224 (13.1%) of the 1705 patients had been convicted in the 7-12 year post discharge period. Male patients (22.1%) outnumbered female patients (6.9 %) 3:1 in this respect. The rate for violent offences was especially high: 45 (2.6 %) of the sample were convicted for physical injury offences (68 cases). Five cases of attempted or completed manslaughter or murder were recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate a significant rate of delinquency and serious physical injuries in former schizophrenic inpatients. Future research may try to identify risk factors for aggression and violence in schizophrenic patients.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital, University of Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany. michael.soyka@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soyka
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Morhart-Klute
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schoech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*