Criminal recidivism and family histories of schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic fire setters: comorbid alcohol dependence in schizophrenic fire setters

Life-time criminality, family history, and situational factors during a fire-setting offense were compared between 44 fire setters who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia or delusional psychosis and 260 nonpsychotic fire setters who had undergone a pretrial forensic psychiatric evaluation. The same comparisons were made between alcoholic (n = 25) and nonalcoholic (n = 19) schizophrenic fire setters. Medical and criminal records were studied. Life-time criminal histories of schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic fire setters were not significantly different with respect to multiple fire setting and violent offenses. Nonschizophrenic and alcoholic schizophrenic fire setters had, in general, a high rate of criminal offenses. The family history of schizophrenic fire setters was often characterized by the father's alcoholism and the mother's psychosis. Comorbid familial alcoholism increased life-time criminal recidivism among schizophrenic fire setters.