Overview

What scientific data says about childhood abuse and neglect in relation to offenders who are diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Summary

Previous research has shown that trauma in childhood is common in individuals with schizophrenia. It is often one of the risk factors associated with the development of psychosis in individuals.

Research has also shown schizophrenics:

• Have difficulty understanding the emotions of others
• Have difficulty understanding social cues
• Struggle with empathy. 

This lack of ability to understand the emotions of thoughts of others is called Theory of Mind.

A Study on Trauma, Neglect, and Schizophrenia

The authors of this study sought to understand if there was an association between childhood trauma and/or neglect and Theory of Mind deficits

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Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The post What is the Role of Abuse and Neglect in the Affective Theory of Mind of Individuals with Schizophrenia? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

How strong is the link between severe neurocognitive impairment and violence in individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders?

Summary

Individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, have a higher risk of engaging in violent behavior. 

Studies have identified the risk factors for violence to be, previous crime, delusions or hallucinations, substance abuse and a lack of insight. 

Newer risk factors, with less scientific backing, are executive functions and Theory of Mind. 

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Are you looking for more assistance with your sentence mitigation reports? Contact Dr. Jennifer Weeks, a recognized expert witness and forensic psychologist.

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Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The post What Role Does Cognition Play in Violence in Psychotic Disorders? first appeared on Mitigation Aide.

Overview

Using a variety of neurocognitive tests and clinical evaluations, the authors of this study attempt to create validated risk measures for assessing risk for violence in individuals with schizophrenia.

Summary

It is established that individuals with schizophrenia engage in violent criminal acts at a higher rate than the general population. 

Though only about 1% of the population has schizophrenia, the potential impact of violent behavior is high.

As such, there is a need for validated measures to help clinicians assess risk for violence in schizophrenic individuals.

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Are you looking for more assistance with your sentence mitigation reports? Contact Dr. Jennifer Weeks, a recognized expert witness and forensic psychologist.

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Continue exploring Mitigation Aide for the information on mental health necessary to ensure your clients are treated fairly in the criminal justice system.

The post Traits of Schizophrenia Patients with a History of Abuse first appeared on Mitigation Aide.