The Role of Serotonin in Violence and Schizophrenia: Implications for Risk Assessment

Abstract

This article examines dynamic biological factors associated with violence and schizophrenia to help explain inconsistent findings in the empirical literature on risk assessment. In particular, the role of serotonin in both violence and schizophrenia is reviewed and integrated. Although serotonin does seem implicated in violence, its connection with violence in schizophrenic populations has not been established. Findings from serotonin studies suggest several factors that might influence a relationship between violence and schizophrenia, including different serotonin subtypes, the type and severity of violent behavior, the type of comparison group studied, the context of the study, interactions between neurotransmitter systems, and the individual's level of psychosis.