Psychiatric morbidity among convicted male sex offenders at Kamiti Prison, Kenya.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and distribution of psychiatric morbidity among convicted male sex offenders and to establish factors associated with sexual offending.


METHODS
A Cross-sectional descriptive survey.


METHODS
Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Nairobi, Kenya.


METHODS
Seventy six male convicts.


RESULTS
Forty seven (61.8%) had defilement-related convictions, 23 (30.3%) had rape-related, while six (7.9%) had other convictions. Twenty seven (35.5%) out of 76 had a DSM-IV Axis I disorder, majority of whom (71.1%) were dependent on or abused substances, and 26 (34.2%) had an Axis II disorder, most of whom had antisocial and impulsive personality disorders (46.2%). Of these 12 (15.8%) had an Axis I diagnosis alone, 11 (14.5%) had an Axis II diagnosis alone while 15 (19.7%) had both Axis I and II diagnoses, that is, co-morbidity. Exposure to erotica was statistically associated with both Axis I and II (p = 0.02 and p = 0.0003 respectively) and pre-occupation with thoughts about sex was associated with Axis II disorders (p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Most of those with psychiatric morbidity targeted children and had antisocial or impulsive personality disorder. Awareness campaigns to enlighten the public of the fact that children are the most common victims and research to determine ways of treating and rehabilitating sexual offenders could reduce the vice.
Kanyanya
I M
IM
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19696-00202, Nairobi, Kenya.
Othieno
C J
CJ
Ndetei
D M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D004882:Erotica / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010262:Paraphilic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires