Forensic psychiatric significance of socially dangerous acts against their children in women with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: The study of risk factors for aggressive and violent acts against their children in women with schizophrenia remains relevant, as the relationship between psychopathological syndromes and socio-psychological factors is still insufficiently explored.

AIM: To identify psychopathological and social factors contributing to the commission of filicide by women with schizophrenia.

METHODS: Study design: this study is a multicenter descriptive retrospective comparative study of medical records and forensic psychiatric reports without the direct involvement of patients. Inclusion criteria for the main group: female sex, diagnosis of schizophrenia, committed child (children) murder in 2016–2023, and court decision on legal insanity of the patient. Study duration: from May to September 2024. Methods of evaluation: clinical-psychopathological, clinical-catamnestic, statistical.

RESULTS: The participants were divided into three groups: group 1 (main, n = 28), patients who committed filicide; group 2 (comparison, n = 34), patients who committed murder of a non-relative (acquaintance or stranger aged 18 years and older); and group 3 (control, n = 56), patients who did not commit any crimes. The results of the comparison between groups 1 and 2 are denoted as p₁, between groups 1 and 3 as p₂, and between groups 2 and 3 as p₃. Comparative analysis showed that the incidence of filicide was statistically significantly higher at the debut of schizophrenia (р₁ = 0.001); patients often did not see a psychiatrist before committing the crime (р₁ = 0.026). The predominant mechanism of committing the crime was the productive-psychotic mechanism (p₁ = 0.001), with identified features of delusions combined with an altruistic motive. Among the personality traits, a tendency toward defensiveness, touchiness, and impressionability predominated (p₁ = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The analysis showed a predominance of psychopathological syndromes in cases involving filicide and a greater significance of social factors in cases involving aggressive and violent acts against non-relatives. The revealed predictors can help prevent socially dangerous behavior in women with schizophrenia.