Mechanisms of illegal aggressive behavior of women suffering from schizophrenia

Aim. To establish comparative clinical and psychopathological and social factors leading to realization of intrafamilial and extrafamilial aggressive actions of females suffering from schizophrenia when comparing the mechanisms of illegal actions.

Methods. The article presents the results of the study of 91 female patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, (F20.0) of continuous and episodic with progressive deficit type of course, who committed aggressive socially dangerous acts and are admitted for involuntary treatment to Kazan psychiatric hospital of specialized type with intensive supervision. Two groups were identified: group 1 included 57 patients committed aggressive criminal acts in the family, and group 2 included 34 patients committed criminal acts against persons outside the family. A comparison was performed between two basic scientific concepts regarding the reasons and conditions of illegal acts committed by mentally ill persons. Statistical significance of the differences between the compared data was determined (using Fisher's angular transformation criterion and Mann-Whitney test).

Results. Comparative study of the analysis concepts of illegal behavior in females suffering from schizophrenia demonstrated that the results turned out to be more detailed when using the concept of psychopathological mechanisms. So, in the productive psychotic mechanism imperative hallucinations and automatisms were noted predominantly in women from group 1 - in 59.5% (p1 <0.01), and in group 2 - in 28%. Productive psychotic mechanism with delusion determined in 68% of cases in group 2 significantly predominated by prevalence over group 1 (p1 <0.01), where it was revealed at commitment of criminal acts in 38.1% of patients. Delusional revenge was noted more often in women from group 2 - in 28% (p1 <0.05), than in group 1 - 7.1%.

Conclusion. Presence of mental disorder in the form of schizophrenia determines realization of aggressive illegal behavior not always by strictly psychopathological mechanism; in this case, illegal acts of the patients committed by negative personal mechanism are close to violation of law motives of women ruled sane.