Mentally disordered offenders in Sweden: differentiating recidivists from non-recidivists in a 10-year follow-up study

AbstractBackground: Forensic psychiatric patients present a challenge as they manifest severe mental disorders together with criminal behaviour. There are well-known risk factors for criminal behaviour in the general population, yet knowledge of what predicts reconviction in the Swedish forensic population in the long-term perspective is still insufficient.Aims: The study aims to (1) describe background and clinical characteristics of forensic psychiatric patients in a 10-year follow-up, (2) analyse risk factors associated with recidivism, and (3) test the predictive validity of risk factors for general and violent criminality.Methods: Detailed information on all offenders from the Malmo University Hospital catchment area sentenced to forensic psychiatric in-patient treatment from 1999–2005 (n = 125) was collected. Court decisions were collected up until the end of 2008 (median follow-up time = 6.2 years, range = 0.6–9.7 years).Results: Relapse in general crime (n = 30) was predicted by low educational at...