Mental disorders in 30 military homicide offenders : killing circumstances and relationship with victims

Abstract EN

Objective : to evaluate military homicide offenders for mental disorders and describe modes of killing and relationships with their victims.

Methods : Thirty perpetrators at the Correction and Rehabilitation Military Center in Jordan were interviewed and psychiatrically assessed using the ICD10 as a reference.

Demographic characteristics of perpetrators, their relationship to victims and types of weapons used were recorded.

Psychiatric diagnoses and demographic data were compared to those of 30 prison inmates who had charges other than homicide.

Results: Compared to the control group, the homicide offenders did not differ in age or duration of military service.

Homicide offenders had higher level of education (60% vs.

30 % high school P = 0.01) and more were married (63 % vs.

33 %, P > 0.01).

Diagnosis of neurotic disorder was more common in homicide offenders, but there were no significant differences in rates of personality disorder, substance misuse, and psychosis.

Eighty percent of homicide offenders used firearms and 87 % were acquainted with their victims.

Conclusion : Non-psychotic psychiatric disorders were common in the homicide sample.

The most common mode of killing was by firearm, and most perpetrators were related to their victims.