Profiling Mentally Ill Offenders in Hong Kong: a 5-year Retrospective Review Study

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services Research
• Criminology

Background:

• Offender populations often exhibit higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population.
• Understanding the prevalence and patterns of mental disorders in offenders is crucial for effective treatment and rehabilitation.
• Forensic psychiatric services play a vital role in assessing and managing mentally ill individuals within the criminal justice system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of mental illness among offenders referred to psychiatrists.
• To investigate associations between specific types of crime and mental disorders in this population.
• To provide insights into forensic psychiatric service utilization in Hong Kong.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of case notes for 4492 offenders referred to the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre between January 2011 and March 2016.
• Data collected included demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, index offenses, referral sources, and outcomes.
• Statistical analysis was performed to identify associations between diagnoses and offenses.

Main Results:

• Approximately 73% of offenders had a diagnosable mental disorder.
• The most common diagnoses were schizophrenia (25%), substance use disorders (20%), and mood disorders (9%).
• Theft (22%), acts intended to cause injury (20%), and illicit drug offenses (11%) were the most common index crimes. Violence-related offenses were more common in males. Specific disorders showed significant associations with particular offense types (e.g., schizophrenia with acts intended to cause injury, mood disorders with theft, substance use disorders with illicit drug offenses).

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of mental disorders among offenders requiring psychiatric assessment is substantial.
• The observed crime-mental disorder associations align with findings from international studies.
• This study offers a representative cross-sectional view of forensic psychiatric service utilization in Hong Kong.