Validity of self-reports of criminal activity in psychiatric inpatients

Self reports of criminal activity are known to be valid in general populations. Little is known about the validity of self-reports of crime in psychiatric inpatients. A group of 41 psychiatric inpatients had their self-reported arrests contrasted with their official arrest records. Sixty-six percent of the patients gave accurate reports. Twelve percent denied having arrests when their record showed arrests. Twenty-two percent reported arrests when their official records showed none. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.