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Mental Disorders and Crime: Personality Disorders

© Michael Decaire

Outside of the area of primarily diagnosed mental disorders (Axis I in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 4th edition) is a number of disorders that can contribute a great deal to criminal behavior and motivation. While these disorders may not be as readily known by the layman, they may in fact cause the majority of criminal behaviors with etiological relationships based in mental disorders. The disorders are characterized as Personality Disorders (Axis-II) and contain a number of relevant diagnosable conditions.

Paranoid Personality Disorder is characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others. An individual with this disorder will often interpret anothers motives as malevolent. This disorder often begins in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. It is clear how such a disorder could lead to violence. When a person feels someone is motivated to harm them in some manner it is not surprising that the individual would act in a violent way to either prevent the acts they expect to have occur or respond aggressively to those they have seem as hostile.

Antisocial Personality Disorder is the most highly correlated mental disorder with crime. Individuals diagnosed with this disorder are the 'psychopaths' we are familiar with from television shows and movies that have sensationalized these individuals. An individual with Antisocial Personality Disorder has a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others, and violations of them. The disorder is characterized by a lack of conformity or respect for lawful behavior. They repeatedly carry out acts that are grounds for their arrest. There is a extremely high tendency for such an individual to be deceitfulness. They will often be found to be using aliases, repeatedly lying, and conning people for either profit or even pleasure alone. An individual with the disorder tends to be irritable, aggressive, participates repeatedly in physical fights or assaults, and displays a consistently reckless disregard for the safety of their self or others. Finally these individuals tend to lack remorse as displayed by their indifference for harming others. Why this disorder would contribute greatly to criminal behavior is clear. It itself is a recipe for criminality.

Borderline Personality Disorders, which is possibly the most difficult mental disorder to treat, also can contribute to criminality. While the disorder, which is reflected by a pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self image, affect, and impulsively, predominately leads to self damaging behavior, it also has a external component. These individuals tend to have a marked instability in mood. They characteristically display inappropriate and intense anger and have very little anger control. This constant and recurrent anger and temper is often reflected with a history of physical fights and abuse.