In a new study, researchers found many people with violent offenses suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder and alcohol use disorder.
They discovered the combination of these problems strongly increased the likelihood of violent offenses.
The research was conducted by a team at Western Carolina University.
In the study, the team tested male detainees and found less than half showed symptoms consistent with PTSD and about one quarter reported having panic attacks in the past 12-month period.
In addition, more than one-third of the people met the criteria for a moderate or severe alcohol use disorder. These conditions were also frequently observed in conjunction with one another.
Another important finding relates to the relatively large proportion of detainees who experienced panic attacks and the connection between this condition and violent charges.
The researchers note that one explanation underlying this relationship is the possibility that male detainees who experience panic attacks may become involved in aggressive violent behavior as a response to stressful life events.
The study provides valuable insight for future research on the combinations of these mental problems.
Future work will examine the sensitivity and specificity of a proposed process that is primarily based on using violent charges as the indicator of these potential underlying conditions.
One author of the study is Alexa Barrett.
The study is published in the Journal of Criminal Psychology.
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