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Roles of Psychopathic Personality, Mental Health, and Recidivism in Criminal Behavior: Survey of Brunei Inmates

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Abstract

The survey investigated the contributions of sociodemographics, psychopathic personality, mental health, and recidivism to criminal behavior in a random sample of 64 Brunei convicts representing both genders. Participants committed five major types of crime related to stealing, drugs, sex, violence, and deception. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed gender, age, the inmates’ marital status and marital status of the inmates’ parents as significant demographic predictors of criminality. Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified the demographic, psychopathic, and mental health variables that were related to committing the specific crimes. Significant psychopathic predictors were interpersonal and affective (stealing-related offenses), interpersonal and affective (drug crimes), interpersonal (sex offenders), and interpersonal (violent/ aggressive felonies). The best mental health predictors included: depression and psychoticism (stealing-related offenses); depression, hostility, and psychoticism (drug crimes); psychoticism (sex offenses); and depression, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism (violence/aggression). Binary logistic regression analysis showed male gender and inmates with married parents as the main predictors of recidivism (while other variables with high odds for re-offending included age-group 30–35, inmates with primary education, affective, lifestyle, antisocial, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism). Future research which incorporates interviews with probes and appropriate interventions to address crimes were recommended.

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Abbreviations

UBD:

Universiti Brunei Darussalam

SPSS:

Statistical Package for Social Sciences

OR :

Odds ratio

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Acknowledgements

We thank the editor and all the anonymous reviewers for the interest shown in our paper and the constructive suggestions accorded to us that helped to improve the article.

Authors’ Contributions

Each author made contributions to the study, saw, and approved the final version of the manuscript submitted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychological Studies and Human Development Academic Group, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam

    Lawrence Mundia, Rohani Matzin, Salwa Mahalle, Malai Hayati Sheikh Hamid & Ratna Suriani Osman

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  1. Lawrence Mundia
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  2. Rohani Matzin
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  3. Salwa Mahalle
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  4. Malai Hayati Sheikh Hamid
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Correspondence to Lawrence Mundia.

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Funding

This study was supported by Grant No. UBD/PNC2/2/RG/1(232) dated 23 May 2012 from the Centre for Advanced Research, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the University of Brunei Darussalam Ethics Committee and the Prison Department Ethics Committee. Each respondent gave a verbal consent/agreement for participating and being involved in the study.

Authors’ Information

All authors teach in the Sultan Hassnal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Lawrence Mundia teaches educational psychology, school counseling, and special education.

Rohani Matzin is senior lecturer in sociology of education.

Salwa Mahalle is lecturer in counseling psychology.

Malai Hamid is lecturer in educational psychology.

Ratna Osman is lecturer in special education.

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Mundia, L., Matzin, R., Mahalle, S. et al. Roles of Psychopathic Personality, Mental Health, and Recidivism in Criminal Behavior: Survey of Brunei Inmates. Asian Criminology 12, 255–280 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-017-9249-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-017-9249-6

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