| 1. |
- Hedlund, Jonatan, et al.
(author)
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A population-based study on toxicological findings in Swedish homicide victims and offenders from 2007 to 2009
- 2014
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In: Forensic Science International. - : Elsevier. - 0379-0738 .- 1872-6283. ; 244, s. 25-29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and objectives: Previous research on the toxicology of homicide has shown that about half of offenders and victims have psychoactive substances in their blood. The purpose of this study was to examine this topic in a Swedish setting. Methods: Toxicological data were sought in a database for all victims (n = 273) and perpetrators (n = 257) of homicide in Sweden from 2007 to 2009. Sufficient tests were identified for 97.1% of all victims (n = 265) and 46.7% of all offenders (n = 120). Additional information was obtained from court records and police reports. Results: A majority of individuals involved in homicides displayed positive toxicology (57.0% of victims and 62.5% of offenders). The most commonly detected substances, in both victims and offenders, were ethanol (44.9% vs. 40.8%) and benzodiazepines (8.3% vs. 19.2%). The difference between offenders and victims concerning benzodiazepines was statistically significant (OR 2.6; p = 0.002). Perpetrators of homicide-suicide had a lower prevalence of positive toxicology (30.8%) than other homicide offenders (66.4%; p = 0.04) and victims in unsolved cases more often exhibited positive drug toxicology compared to victims in solved cases (36.1% vs. 8.3%; p less than 0.001). Conclusions: The results of the study support the notion that substance abuse is firmly linked to committing homicide and to becoming a victim thereof.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Kristiansson, Marianne, et al.
(author)
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Sekretess hinder för hantering av högriskindivider.
- 2014
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In: Svenska Dagbladet. - 1101-2412. ; :21 nov 2014
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Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- För att olika myndigheter ska kunna samverka när det gäller personer med psykisk sjukdom som riskerar att begå brott, krävs att nuvarande sekretessbestämmelser förändras.
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| 4. |
- Sturup, Joakim, et al.
(author)
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Homicide offenders 32 years later : a Swedish population-based study on recidivism
- 2014
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In: CBMH. Criminal behaviour and mental health. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0957-9664 .- 1471-2857. ; 24:1, s. 5-17
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The literature on recidivism by homicide offenders is scarce despite its importance for individuals and for society.Aims: To establish the rate of seriously violent re-offending among homicide offenders and identify risk factors for such recidivism.Methods: A 1970s incident cohort of all homicide offenders, sane and insane, from two regions of Sweden (N=153) was followed up until 2007 using data from the national crime register.Results: Ten per cent of the cohort (n=15) re-offended. The mean time from index offence to recidivism was 9.4 years. Five people (3%) committed a further homicide, and it was established that another five (3%) offenders had killed before the index offence. Prospective risk factors for violent recidivism were young age, psychotic disorder, male victim, acquainted victim and intoxicated victim.Conclusions: The prevalence of repeated homicide is higher than previously reported. Victim variables and mental disorder in conjunction with substance abuse appear to be two domains of particular significance for recidivism.
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| 5. |
- Sturup, Joakim, et al.
(author)
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Psychosis and homicide in Sweden : a time trend analysis 1987-2006
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. - London : Routledge. - 1499-9013 .- 1932-9903. ; 13:1, s. 1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Few studies have examined temporal changes in the contribution of psychosis to homicide offending. This research examines whether the incidence and the proportion of people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, compared to all homicide offenders, have changed over a 20-year period in Sweden. All homicide offenders in Sweden from 1987 through 2006 were identified in the National Register for Criminal Convictions and linked on an individual level to the Central Archive of the National Board of Forensic Medicine, where data concerning individuals subjected to a forensic psychiatric examination in Sweden are registered. Offenders with a diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (F20-F29) formed the subgroup of offenders with psychosis. While the overall incidence of homicide did not change over time, both the incidence and the proportion of offenders with schizophrenia spectrum disorders decreased somewhat in relation to all homicide offenders. Although offenders with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder still comprise a disproportionately large share of all homicide offenders, their contribution to the overall incidence of homicide is at least not increasing in Sweden. Yet, it remains a significant problem that needs to be addressed by clinicians and researchers.
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| 6. |
- Sturup, Joakim
(author)
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Violent behavior and violent victimization among general psychiatric patients : prevalence and prediction
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The intriguing question of how mental disorder and violence relate to each other has become an epic academic debate. During the last decades, there has been a change in direction of the debate on individuals with mental disorder, with a greater focus on violent victimization than violent behaviour towards others. Up until now, no Swedish study has investigated the frequency of violent behaviour among general psychiatric patients undergoing psychiatric treatment. Moreover, no Swedish study so far has investigated the relative risk of victimization in general psychiatric patients, in comparison to the general population. The aim of this dissertation was to investigate these issues and to validate the risk assessment method Classification of Violence Risk (COVR)TM. Method: In study I, general psychiatric patients were recruited from two public psychiatric hospitals in Stockholm County (n=390). The control group consisted of gender- and age-matched subjects recruited from an annual national survey of living conditions, (conducted by Statistics Sweden) (n=1170). Studies II-IV consisted of prospective follow-ups on 331 patients. At baseline, clinical and socio-demographic variables were collected and a COVR assessment was conducted. Follow-up included telephone interviews with the patients and collaterals 10 and 20 weeks after baseline. Violent behaviour was self-reported and in addition, data was collected from a national criminal register. Results: Twenty percent of the patients had been victimised during the year preceding inclusion. The relative rate of victimization was six times higher in patients compared to controls. Women appeared to be most vulnerable with a 10-fold risk increase (Study I). The base rate of violent behaviour was 5.7% and a receiver operating curve analysis (ROC) showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for COVR was 0.77. The gender gap concerning violent behaviour among the general population was not replicated, since there was no significant gender difference with respect to violent acts 20 weeks after discharge. The predictive validity of the COVR software was comparable between females and males. There was an overlap between offenders and victims among psychiatric patients (Studies II-IV). Conclusions: The risk of being subjected to violence is high among Swedish psychiatric patients. The findings are most pronounced for female patients. Research, clinicians and social policy should target the problem of victimization. The base rate of violent behaviour towards others is relatively low among general psychiatric patients in Sweden. Therefore, prediction is difficult. Violent behaviour was uncommon in female as well as male patients and there were no gender differences. The COVR software could significantly predict violent behaviour and its validity was comparable to other risk assessment tools. COVR predicted violent behaviour with the same precision in both genders. The overlap between offenders and victims should be taken into account in both research and clinical settings.
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| 7. |
- Sturup, Joakim, et al.
(author)
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Violent behaviour by general psychiatric patients in Sweden - validation of Classification of Violence Risk (COVR) software.
- 2011
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In: Psychiatry Research. - : Elsevier. - 0165-1781 .- 1872-7123. ; 188:1, s. 161-5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objectives of the study are to report the 20-week base rate of violent behaviour in the community among a general psychiatric patient population from Stockholm and to establish the validity of a violence risk assessment software program, Classification of Violence Risk (COVR), in a European setting. Three hundred and thirty one patients at two psychiatric hospitals in Stockholm were interviewed upon discharge. Telephone interviews with the patients and collaterals were conducted 10 and 20 weeks later. The violent behaviour was also measured through a national criminal register. The allocation of patients into different risk groups according to COVR software was compared with the occurrence of actual acts of violence during the follow-up. The base rate of violent behaviour was 5.7% and a ROC-analysis showed that the AUC for COVR was 0.77. Since there were few patients in the high risk groups, the 95% confidence interval for the proportion of violent patients was wide. The base rate of violent behaviour is relatively low in Sweden and prediction is therefore difficult. The predictive validity of COVR software is comparable to other risk assessment tools.
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