Genetic Background of Extreme Violent Behavior

In developed countries, the majority of all violent crime is committed by a small group of antisocial recidivistic offenders, but no genes have been shown to contribute to recidivistic violent offending or severe violent behavior, such as homicide. 

Our results, from two independent cohorts of Finnish prisoners, revealed that a monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) low-activity genotype (contributing to low dopamine turnover rate) as well as the CDH13 gene (coding for neuronal membrane adhesion protein) are associated with extremely violent behavior (at least 10 committed homicides, attempted homicides or batteries). No substantial signal was observed for either MAOA or CDH13 among non-violent offenders, indicating that findings were specific for violent offending, and not largely attributable to substance abuse or antisocial personality disorder. 

These results indicate both low monoamine metabolism and neuronal membrane dysfunction as plausible factors in the etiology of extreme criminal violent behavior, and imply that at least about 5–10% of all severe violent crime in Finland is attributable to the aforementioned MAOA and CDH13 genotypes.

Below:  Age- and gender-adjusted odds ratios for low-activity MAOA genotype and CDH13 (rs11649622) as a function of the number of committed violent crimes. The number of individuals, allele frequencies and odds ratios are shown below. The number of control subjects was 1946 for MAOA and 1877 for CDH13 analysis.

Below:  Manhattan plot of extremely violent offenders GWAS. The highest cluster is seen in locus 16q23.3

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/Bbrucl

By:  J Tiihonen,^1,2,3,19 M-R Rautiainen,^3,19 HM Ollila,^3,4 E Repo-Tiihonen,² M Virkkunen,^5,6 A Palotie,^7,8,9,10,11 O Pietiläinen,³ K Kristiansson,³ M Joukamaa,¹² H Lauerma,^3,13,14 J Saarela,¹⁵ S Tyni,¹⁶ H Vartiainen,¹⁶ J Paananen,¹⁷D Goldman,¹⁸ and T Paunio^3,5,6

¹Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

²Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

³National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

⁴Stanford University Center for Sleep Sciences, Palo Alto, CA, USA

⁵Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Helsinki, Finland

⁶Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

⁷Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, England

⁸Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

⁹Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA

¹⁰Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

¹¹Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

¹²Social Psychiatry Unit, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland

¹³Psychiatric Hospital for Prisoners, Turku, Finland

¹⁴University of Turku, Turku, Finland

¹⁵Finnish Genome Center, Helsinki, Finland

¹⁶The Criminal Sanctions Agency, Helsinki, Finland

¹⁷University of Eastern Finland, Bioinformatics Center, Kuopio, Finland

¹⁸Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, USA

Correspondence: Professor J Tiihonen, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Byggnad R5, Stockholm, S-171 76, Sweden or Professor T Paunio, National Institute for Health and Welfare, PO Box 30, FI-00271, Finland. Email: es.ik@nenohiit.iraj or ; Email:if.lht@oinuap.aniit

¹⁹These authors contributed equaliy to this work.

Mol Psychiatry. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 Mar 3. Mol Psychiatry. 2015 Jun; 20(6): 786–792.

  

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

Prevalence & Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence among Family Planning Clients in Conakry, Guinea

BACKGROUND:

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health problem that affects women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Very little data on IPV experience and FP use is available in resource-poor settings, such as in West Africa. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence, patterns and correlates of IPV among clients of an adult Family Planning clinic in Conakry, Guinea.

METHODS:

The study data was collected for four months (March to June 2014) from women's family planning charts and from an IPV screening form at the Adult Family Planning and Reproductive Health Clinic of "Association Guinéenne pour le Bien-Etre Familial", a non-profit organization in Conakry, Guinea. 232 women out of 245 women who attended the clinic for services during the study period were screened for IPV and were included in this study.

RESULTS:

Of the 232 women screened, 213 (92 %) experienced IPV in one form or another at some point in their lifetime. 169 women reported psychological violence (79.3 %), 145 reported sexual violence (68.1 %) and 103 reported physical violence (48.4 %). Nearly a quarter of women reported joint occurrence of the three forms of violence(24 %).Half of the IPV positive women were current users of family planning (51.2 %) and of these, 77.9 % preferred injectable contraceptives. The odds of experiencing IPV was higher in women with secondary or vocational level of education than those with higher level of education (AOR: 8.4; 95 % CI 1.2-58.5). Women residing in other communes of Conakry (AOR: 5.6; 95 % CI 1.4-22.9) and those preferring injectable FP methods (AOR: 4.5; 95 % CI 1.2-16.8) were more likely to experience lifetime IPV.

CONCLUSIONS:

IPV is prevalent among family planning clients in Conakry, Guinea where nine out of ten women screened in the AGBEF adult clinic reported having experienced one or another type of IPV. A holistic approach that includes promotion of women's rights and gender equality, existence of laws and policies is needed to prevent and respond to IPV, effective implementation of policies and laws, and access to quality IPV services in Guinea and countries with higher rates of IPV.

Below:  Venn diagram illustrating overlaps between lifetime experiences of psychological, physical and sexual violence reported by FP clients in Conakry, Guinea, March to June 2014

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/Mq1M02

By:  Alexandre Delamou, Ghazaleh Samandari, Bienvenu Salim Camara, Pernamou Traore, Fatoumata Guilinty Diallo, Sita Millimono, Defa Wane, Maimouna Toliver, Kira Laffe, and Fabio Verani

Centre National de formation et de recherche en santé rurale de Maferinyah, Forécariah, Guinea

Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Conakry, Conakry, Guinea

EngenderHealth, New York, USA

Association Guinéenne pour le Bien-Etre Familial, Conakry, Guinea

Ministry of Health, Conakry, Guinea

EngenderHealth, Conakry, Guinea

Alexandre Delamou, Email: moc.liamg@uomaleda.

BMC Res Notes. 2015; 8: 814.

Published online 2015 Dec 23. doi:  10.1186/s13104-015-1811-7

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

Women’s Approval of Domestic Physical Violence Against Wives: Analysis of the Ghana Demographic & Health Survey

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious consequences for the physical, psychological, and reproductive and sexual health of women. However, the factors that make women to justify domestic violence against wives in many sub-Saharan African countries have not been explored. This study investigates factors that influence women approval of domestic physical violence among Ghanaian women aged 15–49.

Method

A nationally representative sampled data (N = 10,607) collected in the 2003 and 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey were used. Multivariate logistic regression was used to study the associations between women’s economic and socio-demographic characteristics and their approval of domestic physical violence against wives.

Results

Women aged 25–34 and 15–24 were 1.5 and 1.3 times, respectively, more likely to approve domestic physical violence against wives compared to those aged 35 years and above. Furthermore, women with no education , primary education and junior secondary education had higher probability of approving domestic physical violence compared to a woman who had secondary education or higher. Compared to women with Christian belief, Moslems and Traditional believer  were more likely to approve domestic physical violence of wives. Women who were in the richest, rich and middle wealth index categories were less likely to approve domestic physical violence of wives compared to the poorest.

Conclusion

These findings fill a gap in understanding economic and socio-demographic factors associated with approval of domestic physical violence of wives. Interventions and policies should be geared at contextualizing intimate partner violence in terms of the justification of this behaviour, as this can play an important role in perpetration and victimization.

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/cXTKyC

By:   David Teye Doku and Kwaku Oppong Asante

Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Cape Coast, Ghana

University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

David Teye Doku, Email: moc.liamg@divadukod.

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

A Qualitative Exploration of Perceived Gender Differences in Methamphetamine Use among Women Who Use Methamphetamine on the Mexico-U.S. Border

The purpose of this study is to extend the research on contextual factors that influence the initiation and continued use of methamphetamine (meth) by women on the U.S.-Mexico border. 

At present, a minimal body of literature exists that explores meth use on the Mexico-U.S. border. A purposeful sample of 20 women who were active meth users aged ≥18 years was recruited by trained outreach workers from a variety of meth-user networks in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, the city bordering El Paso, Texas. 

Respondents participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews including questions on users' perceived familial, social, and environmental influences of meth use. Gender-based themes emerged from the analysis: 

1. patterns of meth use; 
2. places where drugs were used; 
3. effects of relationship networks on meth use; 
4. differential access to drugs; 
5. trading sex for drugs; 
6. perceived class differences; and 
7. long-term drug use and its consequences. 

Respondents reported a preference for using meth as powder or pills as opposed to smoking or injecting the drug. They reported being introduced to meth by men they trust and relying on men for drug acquisition in spaces less accessible and more dangerous to women. 

They described how the drug changed their lifestyle and their behavior towards family members and friends, including instances of physical and psychological violence. Interventions for women on the Mexico-U.S. border should be developed based on users' social networks to target social processes to prevent initiation and to bring active meth users into treatment.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/0ZvM9Y

By:   Loza O¹, Ramos R², Ferreira-Pinto J¹, Hernandez MT³, Villalobos SA⁴.

¹a College of Health Sciences , University of Texas at El Paso (http://chs.utep.edu/) , El Paso , TX.

²b Alliance of Border Collaboratives (ABC) , El Paso , TX.

³c School of Public Health , University of California , Berkeley , CA.

⁴d Department of Emergency Medicine , Texas Tech Health Sciences of El Paso, Paul Foster School of Medicine , El Paso , TX.

J Ethn Subst Abuse. 2015 Dec 21:1-20. [Epub ahead of print]

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

Posttraumatic Disorders in Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

The findings of international studies suggest high rates of interpersonal violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Only few studies, however, have so far been conducted in the German-speaking countries.

In N = 145 consecutively admitted patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (67 % male) the structured trauma interview (STI) was used to assess experiences of interpersonal violence and the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID) to assess comorbid PTSD.

Sexual violence under the age of 16 years was reported by 17 % of the patients (women 27 %, men 12 %). Approximately one third (32 %) reported physical violence by parental figures (women 38 %, men 29 %). At least one form of early violence (sexual or physical) was reported by half of the women (48 %) and one third of the men (34 %). 

Negative sexual experiences later in life were reported by 17 %, physical violence by 38 % and at least one of these forms by 48 % of the patients. In total two thirds of all patients (66 %) reported experiences of violence during their lifetime. The prevalence of acute PTSD was 12 %. Another 9 % of patients had a subsyndromal PTSD.

The present study confirmed the high rates of experiences of interpersonal violence and comorbid PTSD in a German sample of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Violence and it's consequences should therefore be routinely assessed and the full spectrum of trauma-specific therapies should be integrated into the treatment of this group of patients.

Via:  http://ht.ly/S1cnZ

By: Schäfer I1, Eiroa-Orosa FJ, Schroeder K, Harfst T, Aderhold V.
1Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Deutschland

Association of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse with Intimate Partner Violence, Poor General Health and Depressive Symptoms among Pregnant Women

Below:  Prevalence of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse by Type and Perpetrators among Pregnant Women in Lima, Peru

Results
Any childhood abuse was associated with 2.2-fold increased odds of lifetime IPV (95%CI: 1.72–2.83). Compared with women who reported no childhood abuse, those who reported both, childhood physical and sexual abuse had a 7.14-fold lifetime risk of physical and sexual IPV (95%CI: 4.15–12.26). The odds of experiencing physical and sexual abuse by an intimate partner in the past year was 3.33-fold higher among women with a history of childhood physical and sexual abuse as compared to women who were not abused as children (95%CI 1.60–6.89). Childhood abuse was associated with higher odds of self-reported poor health status during early pregnancy (aOR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.04–1.68) and with symptoms of antepartum depression (aOR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.58–2.71).

Conclusion
These data indicate that childhood sexual and physical abuse is associated with IPV, poor general health and depressive symptoms in early pregnancy. The high prevalence of childhood trauma and its enduring effects of on women’s health warrant concerted global health efforts in preventing violence.

Via: http://ht.ly/Ig68M HT @HarvardHSPH