• 대한불안의학회지
• /
• 제14권2호
• /
• pp.112-119
• /
• 2018

Objective : This study aims to identify personality characteristics in female homicide offenders by using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) test. Methods : This study retrospectively analyzed the mental appraisals and MMPI-2 scores of 54 women charged with homicide and 67 women charged with non-violent crimes, who were referred to National Forensic Hospital in Gongju city for psychiatric evaluation between January 2012 and March 2016. Results : Women charged with homicide scored significantly higher on Hs (p=0.018), D (p<0.001), Hy (p=0.002) and Pt (p=0.004) than the women charged with non-violent crimes. The women charged with homicide may have developed the following characteristics: hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria and psychasthenia. In multiple regression analyses, a final regression model including age of crime onset and depression was significant, explaining 16.5% of the variance in homicides committed by females. Conclusion : These findings suggest that personality characteristics in the female homicide offenders might be different compared to the non-violent crime offenders.