Trastornos de la personalidad, adicciones y psicopatía como predictores de la conducta delictiva en una muestra penitenciaria / Personality disorders, addictions and psychopathy as predictors of criminal behaviour in a prison sample

Objetivo: Las perturbaciones de la personalidad y las adicciones se asocian con un aumento del riesgo de cometer delitos y, con ello, de ingresar en prisión. En este estudio se analiza la relación entre estos factores con una muestra de internos en el Centro Penitenciario de Pereiro de Aguiar de Ourense. Material y método: 204 internos participaron en este estudio transversal retrospectivo con un diseño ciego simple. Se analizaron las siguientes variables: trastornos de la personalidad y psicopatía, consumo de sustancias, historial delictivo y variables sociodemográficas. Resultados: 101 (49,5%) internos recibieron un diagnóstico de trastorno de la personalidad. Los más frecuentes fueron: narcisista, 43 (21,08%); antisocial, 38 (18,63%); y paranoide, 29 (14,22%). La presencia de cualquier trastorno de la personalidad se asoció a un aumento en el riesgo de cometer delitos, especialmente delitos violentos y contra la propiedad. Los trastornos de la personalidad más frecuentes se asociaron a puntuaciones más elevadas en los instrumentos de valoración de la psicopatía. Puntuaciones elevadas en la escala de evaluación de psicopatía de Hare revisada (Psychopathy Checklist Reviewed, PCL-R) se correlacionaron con un mayor riesgo de cometer delitos violentos, contra la salud pública, contra la propiedad y de alteración del orden público. El consumo de sustancias adictivas se asoció a la comisión de delitos contra la propiedad. La metadona destacó por su papel protector frente a la comisión de delitos violentos. Discusión: En esta muestra, se objetiva que los internos presentan una mayor prevalencia de trastornos de la personalidad, psicopatía y consumo de sustancias adictivas. Estas tres variables aumentaron de forma significativa el riesgo de cometer delitos

Aims: Disturbances in personality and addictions are associated with an increased risk of committing crimes and therefore of being imprisoned. In this study, the relationship between these factors is analyzed through a sample of inmates in the Prison of Pereiro de Aguiar, Ourense. Material and method: 204 inmates participated in this transversal simple blind design study. The following variables were analyzed: presence of personality disorders and psychopathy, history of addictive psychoactive substance use, criminal history and socio-demographic variables. Results: 101 (49.5%) inmates received a diagnosis of personality disorder, the most frequent being: narcissistic, 43 (21.08%); antisocial, 38 (18.63%); and paranoid, 29 (14.22%). The presence of any personality disorder was associated with an increase in the risk of committing crimes, especially violence and crimes against property. The most frequent personality disorders were associated with higher scores in the psychopathy assessment tools. Higher scores in the Psychopathy Checklist Reviewed (PCL-R) correlated with an increased risk of committing the following crimes: violent, against public health, against property and disorderly conduct. The consumption of addictive psychoactive substances was associated with the commission of crimes against property. Methadone stood out for its protective role against the commission of violent crimes. Discussion: This sample shows that inmates have a higher prevalence of personality disorders, psychopathy and consumption of addictive psychoactive substances. These three variables significantly increased the risk of committing crimes

Malaria simulating acute appendicitis

1. Six patients with malaria are presented, to illustrate our observation that intestinal malaria may be confused with acute appendicitis2. The occurrence of moderate or high fever before other signs and symptoms, a positive history of previous attack of malaria, a palpable spleen, and a normal white-blood cell picture or leucopenia, are strongly suggestive of malaria, even when the abdominal signs and symptoms indicate a pathology in the terminal ileum, cecum, and appendix. Our diagnosis of intestinal malaria in all our six cases were confirmed by positive blood smear and therapeutic tests3. Authorities are unanimous in their observation that, in some cases of malignant malaria, the capillaries of the mucosa and villi of the intestines may be plugged with parasites. The intestines are also congested4. The pain, tenderness, and hyperesthesia at the right iliac region in cases of bacterial and protozoan affections of the terminal ileum, cecum, and appendix are explained as referred visceral sensations5. While Manson Bahr observes that only malignant tertian malaria simulates surgical conditions, one of our patients, with signs and symptoms similar to those of acute appendicitis, harbored benign tertian parasites. (Summary)