Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Criminal Behaviour: A Case Control Study
Svend Erik Mouridsen1*,
Bente Rich2,
Torben Isager3,
and
Niels Jørgen Nedergaard4
1 Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Odense University Hospital, Denmark
3 Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark
4 Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sem01{at}bbh.hosp.dk.
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Abstract |
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The prevalence and pattern of criminal behaviour in a population of 313 former child psychiatric in-patients with pervasive developmental disorders were studied. The patients were divided into three subgroups and compared with 933 matched controls from the general population. Age at follow-up was between 25 years and 59 years. An account of convictions in the nationwide Danish Register of Criminality was used as a measure of criminal behaviour. Among 113 cases with childhood autism, .9% had been convicted. In atypical autism (n = 86) and Aspergers syndrome (n = 114) the percentages were 8.1% and 18.4%, respectively. The corresponding rate of convictions in the comparison groups was 18.9%, 14.7%, and 19.6% respectively. Particular attention is given to arson in Aspergers syndrome (p = .0009).