Admission and cognitive details of male patients diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome detained in a Special Hospital: comparison with a schizophrenia and personality disorder sample

This study examined whether male patients with Asperger's Syndrome detained in a high-security psychiatric hospital could be distinguished from patients with schizophrenia or with personality disorder on the basis of selected admission and neuropsychological details. Exploratory comparisons found that those patients with Asperger's Syndrome were less likely to have a history of alcohol or illicit substance abuse and had lower index offence violence ratings than the other patient groups. Age at admission was less discriminating and Mental Health Act 1983 section information did not suggest any bias. However, within the Asperger's Syndrome group approximately half had received either a mental illness classification or a psychopathic disorder classification respectively. Within the neuropsychological measures patients with Asperger's Syndrome displayed in performance both similarities to and differences from the other patient groups. Tentative conclusions and implications for assessment and treatment are highlighted, along with the methodological limitations.