Violent crime in Asperger syndrome: the role of psychiatric comorbidity.

The authors read 37 published reports about people with Asperger syndrome who had committed violent crimes. They pulled each file to see if another psychiatric illness was also present. They did not run new tests; they simply counted what earlier writers had recorded.

In 84 out of every 100 cases, a clear second disorder such as depression, ADHD, or psychosis was already known. The team says the crime rarely happened in 'pure' Asperger alone. Untreated illness appeared to be the bigger driver.

Wilkinson et al. (1998) saw the same pattern in ordinary clinic patients: 65% carried an extra diagnosis. The new crime review pushes that number even higher, hinting that severe comorbidity may raise risk.

Lugnegård et al. (2011) later showed 70% of young adults with Asperger had suffered major depression. Their data came from peaceful out-patients, proving mood illness is common even without offending.

Sharma et al. (2012) warn that 'Asperger' and 'autism' labels overlap so much that some cases may have been mis-classified. If true, the 84% figure could include people who actually met autism criteria, but the core message—screen for comorbidity—still stands.

When you assess an individual with Asperger traits who shows aggression, first ask 'What else is going on?' Order a full psychiatric screen, not just autism rating scales. Treating the second disorder—whether it is depression, ADHD, or psychosis—may do more to reduce risk than focusing only on social-skills training. Share the 84% figure with courts and caregivers to justify thorough evaluations and combined care plans.