Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Past Issues
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Print Subscriptions
  • About
    • About the Journal
    • About the Academy
    • Editorial Board
  • Feedback
  • Alerts
  • AAPL

User menu

  • Alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
  • AAPL
  • Alerts
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Past Issues
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Print Subscriptions
  • About
    • About the Journal
    • About the Academy
    • Editorial Board
  • Feedback
  • Alerts
Research ArticleARTICLES

Lethal Violence and Psychosis: A Clinical Profile

Paul G. Nestor, Joel Haycock, Suzanne Doiron, Julianne Kelly and Denise Kelly
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online September 1995, 23 (3) 331-341;
Paul G. Nestor
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Joel Haycock
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Suzanne Doiron
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Julianne Kelly
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Denise Kelly
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between lethal violence and psychosis, the authors examined symptomatology, neuropsychological functioning, and the nature of perpetrator-victim relationships of patients with psychotic disorders who were committed to a forensic psychiatric hospital following violent, primarily criminal, behavior. A severely violent group, composed primarily of psychotic patients charged with murder, was compared with a less severely violent group that was composed primarily of psychotic patients involved with property crimes. As compared with the less violent group, the severely violent group was more likely to have delusional beliefs about specific personal targets and to have delusions about significant others being replaced by impostors. These beliefs were accompanied by higher scores on neuropsychological tests of intellectual and academic abilities. A high number of their blood relatives were victims of psychotic murder. These results indicated that a higher incidence of lethal or near lethal acts of violence may characterize intellectually intact but psychotic individuals with organized delusions involving personal, accessible targets.

  • Copyright © 1995, The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online: 23 (3)
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
Vol. 23, Issue 3
1 Sep 1995
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in recommending The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law site.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Lethal Violence and Psychosis: A Clinical Profile
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Lethal Violence and Psychosis: A Clinical Profile
Paul G. Nestor, Joel Haycock, Suzanne Doiron, Julianne Kelly, Denise Kelly
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online Sep 1995, 23 (3) 331-341;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Lethal Violence and Psychosis: A Clinical Profile
Paul G. Nestor, Joel Haycock, Suzanne Doiron, Julianne Kelly, Denise Kelly
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online Sep 1995, 23 (3) 331-341;
del.icio.us logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

More in this TOC Section

  • Prearraignment Forensic Evaluations: Toward a New Policy
  • Trading Forensic and Family Commitments
  • Postconcussional Disorder and Loss of Consciousness
Show more ARTICLES

Similar Articles

Site Navigation

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Ahead of Print
  • Archive
  • Information for Authors
  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Board
  • Feedback
  • Alerts

Other Resources

  • Academy Website
  • AAPL Meetings
  • AAPL Annual Review Course

Reviewers

  • Peer Reviewers

Other Publications

  • AAPL Practice Guidelines
  • AAPL Newsletter
  • AAPL Ethics Guidelines
  • AAPL Amicus Briefs
  • Landmark Cases

Customer Service

  • Cookie Policy
  • Reprints and Permissions
  • Order Physical Copy

Copyright © 2025 by The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law