Citation

Mason OJ, Medford S, Peters ER. Psychol. Psychother. 2012; 85(2): 143-149.

Affiliation

Research Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, University College London, London, UK Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, British Psychological Society)

DOI

10.1111/j.2044-8341.2011.02021.x

PMID

22903906

Abstract

Previous research has highlighted increased risk for schizophrenia in Afro-Caribbeans as well as over-representation in the prison population. This small-scale study examined the relationship between criminality, ethnicity, and psychosis-proneness in a male prison sample. Twenty British Caucasian and 20 Afro-Caribbean prisoners were divided into equal sub-groups of violent and non-violent offenders. Participants completed measures of schizotypy, delusional ideation, and hostility. Afro-Caribbean offenders scored more highly on negative schizotypy and delusional ideation than their Caucasian counterparts. Violent offenders scored more highly on the positive symptoms of schizotypy than non-violent prisoners. Both ethnicity and violent offending may be relevant factors when considering vulnerability to psychosis in the offending population.

Language: en