NCJ Number
56731
Journal
British Medical Journal Volume: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 8, 1969) Pages: 326-328
Date Published
1969
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE INCIDENCE OF EPILEPSY AMONG BRITISH INMATES OF BORSTALS AND PRISONS IS ASSESSED, AND POSSIBLE LINKS BETWEEN EPILEPSY AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR ARE CONSIDERED.
Abstract
IT WAS THOUGHT THAT AN EARLIER SURVEY, WHICH FOUND THAT EPILEPSY WAS MORE COMMON IN PRISONS THAN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, MAY HAVE OVERDIAGNOSED EPILEPSY AMONG INMATES. THEREFORE, A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF INMATES DIAGNOSED AS EPILEPTIC IN THAT SURVEY WAS REASSESSED IN LIGHT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, STANDARDIZED DEFINITION OF THE DISORDER. THE SECOND SURVEY FOUND THE INCIDENCE OF EPILEPSY AMONG INMATES TO BE AT LEAST 7.1 PER 1,000 (COMPARED TO 8.7-8.8 PER 1,000 IN THE FIRST SURVEY). THE INCIDENCE IN THE GENERAL POPULATION HAS BEEN ESTIMATED AT 3.74 PER 1,000 IN ICELAND AND 4.45 PER 1,000 IN ENGLAND AND WALES. THE UNUSUALLY HIGH INCIDENCE OF EPILEPSY AMONG INMATES IMPLIES THAT EPILEPTICS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IMPRISONED THAN ARE OTHER PEOPLE. IT MAY BE THAT THE PHYSICAL DEFECT UNDERLYING EPILEPSY MAY ALSO CAUSE DISTURBANCES OF PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIOR. IT IS EQUALLY LIKELY THAT ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR BY EPILEPTICS IS A REACTION TO THE ISOLATION AND REJECTION THEY EXPERIENCE. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE BROUGHT UP IN DEPRIVED AND DISTURBED ENVIRONMENTS (AS MANY OF THE EPILEPTIC INMATES WERE) ARE AT GREATER RISK OF ACQUIRING BRAIN DAMAGE AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, EPILEPSY. A FOURTH FACTOR MAY BE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISORGANIZED, IMPULSIVE PERSONALITIES WHO ARE PRONE TO GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE LAW ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO SUSTAIN CEREBRAL INJURY AS A RESULT OF THEIR CARELESS BEHAVIOR. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.