Behind the wall of violence: psychological impairment of premeditated and impulsive aggression in compare to non - aggressive individuals in prison

Individuals have been sentenced to prison for beating are divided into two categories of Premeditated and impulsive aggression that use different patterns of violence. Although research has emphasized the psychological problems of these groups, it is not clear how they differ from one another in psychiatric problems.

The purpose of this study was to compare psychological disorder among prisoners in two groups with non-violent prisoners.

 In this study, 151 prisoners were selected by random sampling (from the list of prisoners). All of them completed two questionnaires of Impulsivity and premeditated Violence Scales (IPAS and SCL-90-R 90-item Syndrome Inventory). Using the IPAS scale to determine the cut-off point of the scores, a standard deviation score above the mean was considered. Based on the cut-off point in each of the scales, three groups of non-violent, impulsive and premeditated violent were divided and finally two groups of premeditated and impulsive violence were compared with the non-violent group.

 impulsive aggression individuals obtain higher score on the variables of somatization, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, and phobic anxiety, and Premeditated aggressive showed more paranoid and psychotic thoughts. The T-test revealed the significant difference between the two groups of Premeditated and impulsive violence in the components of somatization, obsession, depression and paranoid thoughts of the impulsive group achieved higher scores and the intentional violent group had interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety. They demonstrated less phobic anxiety and higher psychotic disorder.

 both of violent groups harmed by psychiatric problems more than non-violent defendants, but it seems that this deferential wouldn’t be in a line. Impulsive group tend to be more neurotic, and deliberate tend to be psychotic.