Is Violence, in Part, a Lithium Deficiency State?

Violence, particularly firearm violence, leading to suicide and homicide is a significant problem worldwide. A majority of suicidal and homicidal violence involves males; homicidal violence is prevalent among young men and suicide is the leading cause of violence worldwide. 

Lithium, in pharmacological doses, has been used successfully for decades in treating bipolar disorders, and has been shown to decrease violent crime in this situation. Interestingly, lithium, in trace amounts, as occurs in some drinking water, has been inversely related to aggression, and suicidal and homicidal violence. Lithium is naturally found in vegetables, grains and drinking water, and dietary intake varies from nearly zero to 3mg daily. Elemental lithium, in trace doses, has been shown to improve mood in weeks. Moreover, lithium, in trace amounts, has no toxicity. 

In order to ensure adequate dietary intakes of elemental lithium daily for the purpose of decreasing aggression and violence, we propose considering the fortification of cereal grain products with lithium and also the addition of lithium to vitamin preparations for adults. Importantly, randomized trials in various populations are needed to test this hypothesis.

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By:  Goldstein MR¹, Mascitelli L².

¹NCH Physician Group, 1845 Veterans Park Drive, Suite 110, Naples, FL 34109, USA. Electronic address: markrgoldstein@comcast.net.

²Comando Brigata Alpina "Julia"/Multinational Land Force, Medical Service, 8 Via S. Agostino, Udine 33100, Italy. Electronic address: lumasci@libero.it.

Med Hypotheses. 2016 Apr;89:40-2. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.02.002. Epub 2016 Feb 10.

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Non-Homicidal and Homicidal Sexual Offenders: Prevalence of Maladaptive Personality Traits and Paraphilic Behaviors

This study aims to examine the psychopathological profile of non-homicidal sexual offenders (NHSOs) and homicidal sexual offenders (HSOs). 

Using an incarcerated sample of 96 NHSOs and 74 HSOs in a federal penitentiary in Canada, these offenders are compared in terms of their offending process, maladaptive personality traits, and paraphilic behaviors. A number of cross-tabular and sequential logistic regression analyses are performed. 

Relative to their counterpart, findings indicate that a higher percentage of HSOs select a victim of choice, report deviant sexual fantasies, mutilate their victim, and admit to their offense upon apprehension, whereas a higher percentage of NHSOs select victims with distinctive characteristics. In addition, a higher percentage of HSOs manifest paranoid, schizotypal, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, and impulsive personality traits, and overall odd and eccentric personality traits compared with NHSOs. 

Similarly, a higher percentage of HSOs engage in exhibitionism, fetishism, frotteurism, homosexual pedophilia, sexual masochism, and partialism compared with NHSO. 

These findings are discussed with their implications for offender profiling.

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By:  Chan HC1, Beauregard E2.

• 1City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR oliverchan.ss@cityu.edu.hk.
• 2Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. 
• J Interpers Violence. 2015 Mar 27. pii: 0886260515575606

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Associations with Violent and Homicidal Behaviour among Men with Schizophrenia

Objective 

We aimed to assess the risk factors associated with homicidal behaviour in male patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

Methods 

In a period of 1 year, male schizophrenia cases between 18-65 years of age (n = 210) were included. The clinical evaluation included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Overt Aggression Scale (OAS). The patients were divided into three groups in terms of violent behaviour history: (1) homicide group (n = 30), (2) a violent act resulting in serious injury (n = 71), (3) control group (patients without a history of a violent act) (n = 109). 

Results 

Lower level of education, rural residence, being unemployed and living alone were found to be significantly more common in patients who had committed a violent act compared to the schizophrenia patients in the control group. In order to explore the predictive value of several factors associated with violent behaviour, a logistic regression model was used, and variables (shorter duration of education, living alone, and lack of insight) significantly predicted the presence of violent behaviour (murder and/or injury) (χ²=31.78, df = 12, p = 0.001). 

Conclusions 

In order to be able to determine causality of homicidal acts in schizophrenia patients, our significant findings between homicidal violence, non-homicidal violence and the control group would merit further attention and exploration in further studies.

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By:  Karabekiroğlu A1, Pazvantoğlu O2, Karabekiroğlu K3, Böke Ö4, Korkmaz IZ5.

• 1 Department of Psychiatry , Training and Research Hospital , Samsun , Turkey ;
• 2 Sokrates Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Center , İzmir , Turkey ;
• 3 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical Faculty , Samsun , Turkey ;
• 4 Department of Psychiatry , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical Faculty , Samsun , Turkey ;
• 5 Department of Psychiatry , Dogubeyazit Hospital , Agri , Turkey.
• Nord J Psychiatry. 2015 Dec 4:1-6.  

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