Sociodemographic and Psychiatric Profile of Court-Ordered Patients, admitted to a Mental Health Institution in Paraguay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30545/scientiamericana.2025.set-dic.5Keywords:
Psychiatry, legal process, criminal behavior, ParaguayAbstract
Introduction: People with mental disorders are often perceived as violent, although evidence shows their level of violence is not higher than in the general population. In Paraguay, individuals declared not criminally responsible can be judicially referred to psychiatric institutions. Objective: To describe the sociodemographic, clinical-psychiatric, and judicial profile of patients with ongoing legal cases admitted to a mental health institution between January 2023 and May 2024. Methodology: Observational, descriptive, retrospective study based on 125 clinical records. Sociodemographic, clinical, and judicial variables were analyzed. Results: The mean age was 34 years (±11), predominately male (89.6%), with secondary education (64.8%), from the Central Department (35.2%), and unemployed (76.8%). The most frequent diagnoses were polysubstance use disorders (25.6%) and schizophrenia (24%). Eighty-four percent were admitted to the Male Acute Ward, with a median stay of 49 days; 25% stayed less than 18.5 days and 10% more than 327 days. Most patients (84.8%) had committed punishable acts, primarily domestic violence (40.8%). A significant association was found between education level and commission of punishable acts. Conclusions: The predominant patient profile presents ethical and social challenges that require public policies focused on rehabilitation and social inclusion.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Araceli Mariel Samaniego Viveros, María Auxiliadora Bogarín, Rebeca Fleitas, Jessica Ojeda, Clara Rojas, Renata Vallet, Juan José Vázquez-Alcaraz, Hans Buggenthin, Susana Recalde, Carol Maggi , Derlis Rene Aranda
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