Descriptive study for mentally disordered offenders attended the forensic psychiatric unit in the central prison sana'a city-yemen

Abstract EN

Objective : to investigate the socio-demographic, diagnostic types and associated crimes of mentally disordered offenders referred to the forensic psychiatric committee in the central prison / Sana*a city during the period from January 2003 to December 2004.

Patients and Methods : all Yemeni male, adult, mentally disordered offenders referred during the study period were examined and their socio-demographic data, diagnosis, and associated crimes were recorded and tabulated.

Results 1.

A total of 198 mentally ill offenders were referred to the committee.

2.

The peak frequency is in the range 30-40 years old.

(45.5 %).

3.

The majority of the patients have had history of mental illness before the crime (60.65 %).

4.

3.27 % had previous criminal records and 18.7% with positive family history of mental disorders.

5.

The identified diagnosis were as follows schizophrenia (42, 4 %), mania (28.8 %), delusional disorders (18.7 %), depression (7.1%), neurotic disorders (2.5 5) and organic disorders (0.5 %).

6.

The associated crimes include assault (38.4 %), murder (29.3 %), theft (15.6 %), sexual crimes (8.6 %) and attempted murder (8.1 %).

Conclusions : this descriptive study for forensic psychiatric services, which is of its first kind in Yemen, has raised a number of issues and recommendations for improving practice of forensic psychiatry in Yemen.

It has also found that lack of mental health education in the community, noncompliance with medication, excessive chewing at by mentally ill offenders, as well as their easily access to firearms in Yemen were all associated factors in the majority of committed crimes.

Further future studies are needed in this newly developed branch of psychiatry in Yemen.