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ObjectivesAmong young offenders, psychiatric morbidity and comorbidity are common, but our knowledge about their use of mental health services during childhood and adolescence is scarce. We aimed to describe the lifelong use of mental health services of young offenders who have committed serious crimes.Design and study settingUsing data on forensic psychiatric examinations of 42 Finnish offenders aged 15–22 years, we analysed the timing and typical patterns of their prior mental health service use with qualitative and quantitative content analysis and typification.ResultsYoung offenders appeared in this study as children with plenty of perinatal and developmental risks, and risks related to their family situation and peer relations. Most subjects were described as having had emotional or behavioural symptoms, or both, since childhood. Involvement in mental health services was rare before the age of 7 years but increased markedly after that, staying on the same level during adolescence. Five categories of mental health service users were identified: (1) continuing service use around a decade (14.3%), (2) one brief fixed treatment (11.9%), (3) involuntary use of services (31.0%), (4) evasive use of services (21.4%) and (5) no mental health service use (21.4%).ConclusionsYoung offenders had symptoms from early ages, but during childhood and adolescence, involvement in mental health services appeared for most as relatively short, repetitive or lacking. To help children at risk of criminal development, a multiprofessional approach, an early evidence-based intervention for behavioural symptoms and screening for learning problems, traumatic experiences and substance use are necessary. Results can help identify children and adolescents with a risk of criminal development, to develop mental health services and to plan further research.

In Finland, the court can refer perpetrators for a forensic mental examination to estimate whether they are considered ‘particularly dangerous to life, health or freedom of another.’ This impacts t...

Despite a recent contrary trend, Finland has been for decades one of the most violent countries in Western Europe. Also, Finland has had one of the highest number of psychiatric beds per capita in Europe, although this, too, has seen a sharp decline. Against this background, among other national idiosyncrasies, Finland has developed its forensic psychiatric services. Here, we describe the legal, organizational and clinical structure of these services, and outline the historical and current issues that have shaped them. Finally, we consider future challenges facing the Finnish forensic service system, as part of wider European and global trends.

While the link between mental illness and cancer survival is well established, few studies have focused on colorectal cancer. We examined outcomes of colorectal cancer among persons with a history of severe mental illness (SMI).We identified patients with their first colorectal cancer diagnosis in 1990-2013 (n = 41,708) from the Finnish Cancer Registry, hospital admissions due to SMI preceding cancer diagnosis (n = 2382) from the Hospital Discharge Register and deaths from the Causes of Death statistics. Cox regression models were used to study the impact on SMI to mortality differences.We found excess colorectal cancer mortality among persons with a history of psychosis and with substance use disorder. When controlling for age, comorbidity, stage at presentation and treatment, excess mortality risk among men with a history of psychosis was 1.72 (1.46-2.04) and women 1.37 (1.20-1.57). Among men with substance use disorder, the excess risk was 1.22 (1.09-1.37).Understanding factors contributing to excess mortality among persons with a history of psychosis or substance use requires more detailed clinical studies and studies of care processes among these vulnerable patient groups. Collaboration between patients, mental health care and oncological teams is needed to improve outcomes of care.

Women with a history of severe mental illness (SMI) have elevated breast cancer mortality. Few studies have compared cancer-specific mortality in women with breast cancer with or without SMI to reveal gaps in breast cancer treatment outcomes. We compared breast-cancer specific mortality in women with or without SMI and investigated effects of stage at presentation, comorbidity, and differences in cancer treatment. Women with their first breast cancer diagnosis in 1990–2013 (n = 80,671) were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry, their preceding hospital admissions due to SMI (n = 4,837) from the Hospital Discharge Register and deaths from the Causes of Death Statistics. Competing risk models were used in statistical analysis. When controlling for age, year of cancer diagnosis, and comorbidity, breast cancer mortality was significantly elevated in patients with SMI. Relative mortality was highest in breast cancer patients with non-affective psychosis, partly explained by stage at presentation. Mortality was also significantly elevated in breast cancer patients with a substance use disorder and mood disorder. Patients with SMI received radiotherapy significantly less often than patients without SMI. Our findings emphasize the need to improve early detection of breast cancer in women with SMI and the collaboration between mental health care and oncological teams.

BackgroundEarlier research suggests poorer outcome of cancer care among people with severe mental illness (SMI).AimsTo assess the effect of stage at presentation, comorbidities and treatment on differences in survival among cancer patients with and without a history of SMI in Finland.MethodThe total population with a first cancer diagnosis in 1990–2013 was drawn from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Hospital admissions because of SMI and deaths were obtained from administrative registers. We calculated Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox regression models to examine survival differences.ResultsWe found excess mortality in people with a history of psychotic and substance use disorders. Cancer stage and comorbidity did not explain mortality differences. Controlling for cancer treatment decreased the differences. The mortality gap between patients with psychosis and cancer patients without SMI increased over time.ConclusionsIntegrated medical and psychiatric care is needed to improve outcomes of cancer care among patients with SMI.

Central dopamine regulation is involved in postural control and in the pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Postural control abnormalities have been detected in PD, but there are no earlier studies with regard to RLS and postural control. Computerized force platform posturography was applied to measure the shift and the velocity (CPFV) of center point of forces (CPF) with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) in controls (n = 12) and prior and after a single day intervention with pramipexole in RLS subjects (n = 12). CPFV (EO) was significantly lower in the RLS group (p < 0.05) than in controls. After pramipexole intake, the difference disappeared and the subjective symptom severity diminished. Pramipexole did not significantly influence CPFV (EC) or CPF shift direction. Subjects with RLS used extensively visual mechanisms to control vestibule-spinal reflexes to improve or compensate the postural stability. Further research is needed to clarify altered feedback in the central nervous system and involvement of dopamine and vision in the postural control in RLS.

Aims. Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with mental and motor disturbances. We aimed to investigate motor control, especially central silent period (CSP) in subjects with schizophrenia (n=11) on long-term antipsychotic treatment compared to healthy controls (n=9). Methods. Latency and duration of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and CSPs were measured with the help of single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and intramuscular electrodes. After stimulation of the dominant and nondominant motor cortex of abductor digiti minimi (ADM) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscle areas, respective responses were measured on the contralateral side. Results. MEPs did not differ significantly between the groups. Multiple CSPs were found predominantly in subjects with schizophrenia, which showed a higher number of CSPs in the dominant ADM and the longest summarized duration of CSPs in the nondominant ADM (P<0.05) compared to controls. Conclusions. There were multiple CSPs predominantly in the upper extremities and in the dominant body side in subjects with schizophrenia. Behind multiple CSPs may lie an impaired regulation of excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitter systems in central motor pathways. Further research is needed to clarify the role of the intramuscular recording methods and the effect of antipsychotics on the results.

Lateralized motor and attentional abnormalities contribute to schizophrenia, but little is known about possible abnormalities in neural machinery involved in postural control. We examined postural stability of 22 patients with schizophrenia taking medication and 14 healthy control participants using computerized force platform posturography. The shift in the center point of pressure in the condition of eyes open versus eyes closed characterizes the effect of visual information on body posture. Closing the eyes had less of an effect on the center point of velocity (velocity sm/s) in the patients with schizophrenia than in the control group (median change, 36% vs. 70%, p = 0.0006). Change in the body position during eye closure tended to be directed rightwards in the control group but leftwards in the group with schizophrenia (p = 0.025). The results show that visual component had less dominance in the balance control of these patients with schizophrenia. The lateralized effect of visual information on posture was also impaired.