PCL-R psychopathy predicts disruptive behavior among male offenders in a Dutch forensic psychiatric hospital

In this study, the relationship between psychopathy, according to the Dutch language version of Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), and various types of disruptive behavior during inpatient forensic psychiatric treatment is investigated. Ninety-two male participants were administered the PCL-R following admission to an inpatient forensic hospital. From daily hospital information bulletins, incidents of verbal abuse, verbal threat, physical violence, and violation of hospital rules were derived. Also, the number of seclusion episodes was recorded. As expected, significant correlations were found between PCL-R scores and verbal abuse, verbal threat, violation of rules, total number of incidents, and frequency of seclusion. Psychopaths (PCL-R > or = 30) were significantly more often involved in incidents than nonpsychopaths. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the PCL-R Factor 2 score in particular contributed uniquely to the prediction of the total number of incidents. The findings are discussed in terms of their clinical implications.     

Evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral program for chronically psychotic forensic inpatients

The present study evaluated the progress of four groups of chronically psychotic patients in treatment at De Kijvelanden Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. The psychotic patients were offered a cognitive-behavioral program, including psycho education, grief processing, stress management, functional training, coping with psychotic symptoms (Liberman module) and social skills training. Nine patients dropped out of the program. Sixteen patients who completed it scored significantly better than a control group of 16 psychotic patients, who had not yet participated in the program, on the "social skills" and "negative coping behavior" subscales of one of two observation scales used. On the other observation instrument (REHAB), however, no significant improvement in the general level of functioning was found in the group of treated patients, as compared to the control group. Apart from these two observation scales, the PANSS (structured interview for positive, negative and general psychopathological symptoms) and the SIG (self-report questionnaire for social anxiety and social responses) were used to evaluate treatment progress. Significant improvements were not found on these scales, except for a slight positive effect on the PANSS negative symptoms scale. These results illustrate the difficulties and limitations of treating chronically psychotic offenders, who often also suffer from cluster B personality disorders.     

Product Liability: A Neo-Austrian Based Perspective

The paper is an exercise in a neo-Austrian based economic analysis of product liability. After a short historical introduction, we take two of the basic premises of Austrian economic thought and see which system of product liability results. If costs are subjective and entrepreneurship is the essence of an efficient market process, a system of caveat emptor and vendor results. For judges to assess damages, in the way others advocate judges to do, judges would need to measure costs, something that cannot be done according to Austrian economics. The paper also answers some possible criticisms from the mainstream neoclassical perspective.     

MMPI profiles of males accused of severe crimes: a cluster analysis

Abstract

In studies attempting to classify criminal offenders by cluster analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) data, the number of clusters found varied between 10 (the Megargee System) and two (one cluster indicating no psychopathology and one exhibiting serious psychopathology). The latter results raise doubts about the suitability of the MMPI-2 for classification in forensic settings. The present study aimed at deriving an empirical classification system using cluster analysis of 247 MMPI-2 profiles of pretrial criminal defendants in a forensic psychiatric observation clinic. Results indicated only a ‘non-disturbed’ and a ‘disturbed’ profile, differing on general elevation of MMPI-2 profiles but displaying no qualitatively distinct profiles. The clusters differed on age at admission and first conviction, indicating a late onset of criminal activity for disturbed offenders. Also, the clusters differed significantly on Axis I diagnosis and borderline significantly on Axis II diagnosis. The absence of distinct personality profiles between the clusters suggests restricted usefulness of the MMPI-2 in a forensic context of diverse and severe psychopathology and serious crimes. Either the investigated population is in fact extremely homogeneous, truly comprising only two kinds of offenders, or the types of offenders in these populations are not effectively distinguished by the MMPI-2.