Personality disorder in convicted Jamaican murderers

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Criminology

Background:

• Understanding the psychological factors contributing to violent crime is crucial for public health and safety.
• Personality disorders, particularly Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), are frequently associated with criminal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and etiological factors of personality disorders in Jamaican men convicted of homicide.
• To investigate the relationship between personality disorders and the context of violent offending.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of psychosocial case study interviews from 36 convicted murderers in Jamaica (1976 Barnett Commission).
• Data included social and clinical information, analyzed using Chi-square statistics.
• Diagnosis of personality disorders based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria.

Main Results:

• 66% of convicted murderers had loving relationships with mothers, but 59% experienced paternal rejection and lacked integrated family life.
• 69% endured severe parental discipline; 83% were from impoverished socio-economic backgrounds.
• 66% (23 individuals) were diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), significantly higher in urban-reared murderers (URM) compared to rural-reared murderers (RRM) (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is a significant etiological precursor to homicidal violence in Jamaica.
• The findings highlight APD as a major public health issue requiring attention within the Jamaican context.