The impact of criminogenic factors on crime, based on the example of case studies of patients of the Centre of Mental Health in Complex of Health Care Centres in Cieszyn

Abstract

Generally understood knowledge about person’s behavior is necessary to attempt to explain criminal behavior committed by them. Additionally, the presence of criminological aspects of crime can have a significant impact on human’s behavior and actions. Along with mental disorders, addiction to alcohol or other psychoactive substance often occurs in such case. Mental disorders may be primary to addiction, or secondary, i.e. the mental disorder is a consequence of taking such substances, but they can also co-occur independently of each other. The co-occurence of such disorders means that such people are more often hospitalized, have psychosocial difficulties, and fall into conflicts with the law. Co-morbidity may arise when psychoactive substances induce symptoms of a mental illness or when an ill person abuses these substances for self-medication. It is worth emphasizing, however, that the abuse of alcohol or psychoactive substances, as well as the occurrence of mental health disorders, may be caused by factors such as genetic burden, past trauma, or psychoorganic syndromes[1].

[1]J. Kocur, W. Trendak, Podwójna diagnoza a opiniowanie sądowo-psychiatryczne, „Psychiatria Polska”,2009, volume XLIII, no 5, pp 601-609.