The connections between psychopathy, type of violence and serious mental disorder in cases of deadly violence with women as perpetrators, have been investigated at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.
It is important that we do not lock ourselves into stereotypes or notions, says Karin Trägårdh, who has led the study and is a psychologist with a specialization in clinical forensic psychology.
This is about 175 Swedish court cases with female perpetrators who have undergone a forensic psychiatric examination, after deadly or attempted deadly violence.
About half were deemed to have a serious mental disorder, according to the study which has been published in the International Journal of Forensic Mental Health.
Among the studied court cases, it is primarily male partners, or former partners, who are the victims of crime.
Planning before the crime
Research on women's violence is not as extensive as the corresponding research on men's violence.
This may be because 90 percent of perpetrators are men. And then one often focuses on women as victims, says Karin Trägårdh.
In addition to female perpetrators acting mainly after a perceived threat or provocation, in combination with strong emotions, there is also a certain degree of planning behind the crimes.
In some cases, one may have brooded or pondered about these acts perhaps a day in advance, and this primarily concerns individuals who have a serious mental disorder. It is not a detailed plan, but it has been in mind.
More questions are needed
If the woman then has contact with, for example, social services, the police or healthcare, the violence could be prevented by asking more questions, according to Trägårdh.
Previous research shows that women, to a greater extent than men, have sought help before the violent act. And here, according to the researcher, it is important to have a routine where not only questions are asked about whether the woman herself is exposed to violence or threats.
But also add questions about whether she has thoughts about wanting to harm herself or others, or has seen violence as an alternative to solving the situation.
Psychopathy: In severe cases, constitutes a disability with personality traits where, for example, empathy, feelings of guilt and remorse are lacking. Other characteristics are manipulative traits and antisocial behavior.
Serious mental disorder: This is not a medical diagnosis, but a legal concept. The concept concerns the effects of mental illness or behavioral disorder. It is the National Board of Forensic Medicine, on behalf of a court, that investigates whether a suspected perpetrator has a serious mental disorder. The investigation can determine whether it will be imprisonment or forensic psychiatric care.
Source: Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
