ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 8

A Psychiatric Study of Persons Charged with Arson
Leong, GB
Assistant Professor of psychiatry, University of California—Los Angeles School of Medicine, CA

(Received 10 August 1991; accepted 6 January 1992)

Abstract

A total of 29 court-referred individuals charged with arson were psychiatrically studied. From this pre-trial cohort from a large heterogeneous urban population base, a higher rate of psychosis was found than in other recent studies. However, consistent with these studies was the rarity of the diagnosis of pyromania. An important finding of this study was the substantial number of fires set by individuals who are homeless mentally disordered or substance abusing, or both.

Keywords:
psychiatry, criminalistics, arson, firesetting, psychosis, pyromania, homelessness

Paper ID: JFS13319J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13319J
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