READ: Personality Disorders

Mental disorders sometimes play a part in why someone commits a crime. There are many different types of mental disorders and many of them are not usually associated with crime. In this course we will focus on personality disorders because they are more commonly associated with crime.

Before we learn more about this topic, keep in mind that many people are affected by mental disorders. Possibly yourself, or someone you know may have a personality disorder. Just because someone has a mental disorder does not mean that the person is a criminal, or that they are likely to commit a crime. Many people are able to live healthy lives despite having a mental disorder.

The purpose of this section is to point out that sometimes people commit crimes because they are not mentally sound. It is the job of forensic psychologists to determine if a suspect suffers from a mental disorder that could have contributed to the crime they committed. Some examples of this would be mass shooters or serial killers. When these type of criminals are tried in court, their mental state often comes into question. It is not hard to see that a person who decides that it would be okay to kill many people is often not in a good mental state.

The following pages include some general information about personality disorders and how they are diagnosed by psychologists.