Serum testosterone levels, mental disorders and criminal behaviour.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Endocrinology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Androgens, particularly testosterone, are linked to aggression.
• Limited research exists on androgen-aggression links within specific mental disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum testosterone levels and criminal behavior in males with schizophrenia and personality disorders.
• To compare testosterone levels between these patient groups and examine factors influencing them.

Main Methods:

• Serum total and free testosterone levels were measured in male forensic psychiatric patients.
• Participants included 20 schizophrenics and 42 individuals with personality disorders.

Main Results:

• Personality disordered criminals had significantly higher total and free testosterone than schizophrenic criminals.
• Among schizophrenics, testosterone levels decreased with age and correlated negatively with neuroleptic drug use duration.
• Recidivists with personality disorders showed higher testosterone levels than non-recidivists.

Conclusions:

• Elevated serum testosterone is associated with criminal behavior in personality-disordered individuals.
• Lower testosterone in schizophrenics may be attributed to neuroleptic treatment or illness-related disruption of the pituitary-gonadal axis.