Peculiarities of perception of an illness and the risk of criminalization of the mentally ill

Abstract

Peculiarities of perception of an illness and its relationship to the risk of criminalization of mental patients have been studied on a sample of 60 male patients of the psychiatric clinical hospital № 15. We have carried out the comparative study of the peculiarities of perception of an illness by those mental patients, who had committed the socially dangerous acts (SDAs), and by the patients, whose behavior adheres to the norm. We have identified the peculiarities of perception of an illness, depending on the nosology. The interconnections between the components of perception of an illness and the peculiarities of social functioning of mental patients with criminal history have been determined. Research methods included the formalized examination chart, the “System of offender evaluation” questionnaire, the abbreviated version of the “Type of attitude to disease” questionnaire, the “Severity of psychopathological symptoms” check-list (SCL-90-R), and the experimental-psychological examination. The obtained results made it possible to arrive at the conclusion that it is advisable to develop the concept of the “perception of an illness’ in Russian practice, and to provide justification for the choice of targets for psychological interventions, aimed at preventing the socially dangerous acts (SDAs), committed by mental patients.