Crime and violence in men with schizophrenia: a literature review

This literature review examines the strength of the relationship between schizophrenia and violence, symptoms associated with violence in schizophrenics, and two drug treatments associated with treating violence in schizophrenia. In terms of the relationship between schizophrenia and violence, schizophrenia does not surpass other mental illnesses in its association with violence; however, just as other mental illnesses do, it surpasses the normal population in levels of violence. Two symptoms, hostility and suspiciousness, are common in violent schizophrenics. In contrast, antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy have not been clearly associated with violent schizophrenics, most likely due to methodological problems. Similarly, hallucinations, delusions, serotonin levels, and testosterone levels have not been clearly associated with violence in schizophrenia. In terms of drug treatments, the use of clozapine and risperidone have been found to be effective in treating violent schizophrenics