Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Protocol for Studying Extinction of Conditioned Fear in Naturally Cycling Female Rats
Published on: February 23, 2015
Gender- and violence-related prevalence of mental disorders in prisoners
Stefan Watzke1, Simone Ullrich, Andreas Marneros
1Halle-Wittenberg Klinik und Poliklinik Fü Psychiatrie, Martin-Luther-Universität, Julius-Kühn-Str. 7, 06097, Halle/Saale, Germany.
Objectives:
To clarify the prevalence of mental diseases including personality disorders in a sample of German prisoners regarding delinquency and gender specificity.
Method:
Crime history, present state and lifetime mental disorders, as well as personality disorders, were assessed amongst 415 inmates and compared regarding gender and type of delinquency.
Results:
Female offenders more often committed homicide while male offenders more frequently committed assault and robbery. Men had a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse and dissocial PD while women more often showed depression, anxiety disorders and Borderline PD. Violent offences were related to a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse and dissocial PD, as well as higher comorbidities of mental disorders.
Conclusion:
Results emphasize the complexity of the needs and requirements of imprisoned offenders. Our findings reveal an urgent need for psychiatric-psychotherapeutic services to provide suitable care to inmates in order to contribute to a more favorable legal prognosis.
Related Concept Videos
Panic Disorder
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Conduct Disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Disorders of the Female Reproductive System
The Stanford Prison Experiment
