Schizophrenia and homicidal behavior
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
M Eronen1, J Tiihonen, P Hakola
1Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Abstract:
It is generally thought that schizophrenia does not predispose subjects to homicidal behavior. However, many previous studies have suffered from notable methodological weaknesses. In particular, obtaining comprehensive study groups of violent offenders has been difficult. Finnish police have been able to solve about 97 percent of homicides during the last few decades. Because most homicide offenders are subjected to intensive forensic psychiatric examination, we were able to obtain data for 93 homicide offenders with schizophrenia among 1,423 arrested during a 12-year period. Calculations of the odds ratios revealed that the risk of committing a homicide was about 10 times greater for schizophrenia patients of both genders than it was for the general population. Schizophrenia without alcoholism increased the odds ratio more than 7 times; schizophrenia with coexisting alcoholism more than 17 times males.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Schizophrenia
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Personality Disorders: Schizotypal and Histrionic
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Eccentric Behavior and Social Withdrawal
Schizotypal personality disorder is marked by odd or eccentric...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

