Psychiatric, neurological, and psychoeducational characteristics of 15 death row inmates in the United States

Dorothy Otnow Lewis; Jonathan Pincus; M Feldman; Lisa Jackson; Barbara Bard

doi:10.1176/ajp.143.7.838

Abstract

The authors present the results of clinical evaluations of 15 death row inmates, chosen for examination because of the imminence of their executions and not for evidence of neuropsychopathology. All had histories of severe head injury, five had major neurological impairment, and seven others had other, less serious neurological problems (e.g., blackouts, soft signs). Psychoeducational testing provided further evidence of CNS dysfunction. Six subjects had schizophreniform psychoses antedating incarceration and two others were manic-depressive. The authors conclude that many condemned individuals probably suffer unrecognized severe psychiatric, neurological, and cognitive disorders relevant to considerations of mitigation.

Keywords

PsychiatryPsychologySchizophrenia (object-oriented programming)Head injuryClinical psychology

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Publication Info

Year: 1986
Type: article
Volume: 143
Issue: 7
Pages: 838-845
Citations: 206
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                
                                    Dorothy Otnow Lewis, 
                                
                                    Jonathan Pincus, 
                                
                                    M Feldman
                                
                                et al.
                            
                            (1986). 
                            Psychiatric, neurological, and psychoeducational characteristics of 15 death row inmates in the United States. 
                            American Journal of Psychiatry
                            , 143
                            (7)
                            , 838-845.
                            https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.143.7.838
                        

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1176/ajp.143.7.838