A developing world perspective on homicide and personality disorder

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Global Mental Health
• Criminology

Background:

• High rates of psychotic and personality disorders are noted in special populations of homicide offenders globally.
• Antisocial personality disorder, particularly with substance use disorder, increases violence risk.
• Research on violence correlates, including homicide, is limited in low- and medium-income countries (LMIC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the prevalence of personality disorders among homicide offenders in Ethiopia.
• To determine predictors of personality disorders in this population.
• To explore differences in homicide correlates compared to high-income countries.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 546 homicide offenders at Jimma prison, Ethiopia.
• The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Diagnosis (SCID) was used to identify personality disorders.
• Multivariate analysis examined demographic and clinical variables as predictors.

Main Results:

• 16% of the 316 offenders who completed the SCID met DSM IV criteria for personality disorder.
• Common rationales for killing included self-defense, anger, and revenge (52%).
• Offenders showed significant planning (50%) and relatively high relationship functioning (57% married).

Conclusions:

• The prevalence and presentation of personality disorders in Ethiopian homicide offenders differ from high-income countries.
• Culturally relevant factors in LMIC may explain these variations in personality disorders and homicide mediators.
• Further research is needed to understand the unique influences in LMIC settings.