Feature Story

July 15, 2008

Forensic patients with tattoos more likely to have antisocial personality disorder

From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:

The presence of tattoos on forensic psychiatric inpatients should alert clinicians to a possible diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), and also about the potential for histories of suicide attempt, substance abuse, and sexual abuse, according to research published today in Personality and Mental Health.

For this research, 36 male inpatients of a maximum-security state forensic psychiatric facility were studied by psychiatrists from the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry (CFP).

Of the patients studied, 15 had tattoos and 17 were diagnosed as having ASPD.

Of those with tattoos, 11 of 15, or 73%, had ASPD, whereas only six of 21, or 29%, of those without tattoos had the same diagnosis.

The research also uncovered an increased likelihood for those with tattoos to have previously suffered from sexual abuse, abused substances or to have attempted suicide.

"Our findings suggest that forensic psychiatric inpatients with tattoos are significantly more likely to suffer from ASPD than those without tattoos, and patients with ASPD were also significantly more likely to have higher numbers of tattoos, a larger percentage of their body covered with tattoos, and tended to have tattoos in more visible locations" said lead researcher Dr. William Cardasis, of CFP, Michigan.

"I hope that this provides clues for clinicians to look for ASPD in forensic psychiatric patients with tattoos, and also to look for signs of suicide attempt, substance abuse, and sexual abuse."

"One should keep in mind that the population studied was only a small segment of the population, and not indicative of what may or may not be relevant in the general population" added Cardasis.

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