Thursday, April 26, 2012

Anders Breivik, the public, and psychiatry : The Lancet

Anders Breivik, the public, and psychiatry : The Lancet

The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9826, Pages 1563 - 1564, 28 April 2012
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60655-2Cite or Link Using DOI

Anders Breivik, the public, and psychiatry

Simon Wessely aEmail Address
On July 22, 2011, Anders Breivik detonated a car bomb outside the office of the Norwegian Prime Minister. The explosion killed eight people, and inflicted grievous damage on the infrastructure of the Norwegian Government. If he had done nothing else, that was already the worst act of terrorism in the history of Scandinavia. But as we know he did not stop there. Dressed in a police uniform he drove to Utøya, where he murdered a further 69 people, mainly teenagers attending a summer camp organised by Norway's Labour party's youth league.
In September, 2011, I was asked by the Norwegian Government to join an International Advisory Council tasked with reviewing the emergency response, both medical and psychosocial, to the dreadful events of July 22. Before coming to our conclusions, which were that the “Norwegian Health Service had responded very well to the greatest challenge it had ever faced”,1 we were briefed by many of those intimately involved in the events. We were left in no doubt that the crimes had shaken Norwegian society to the core. Nevertheless, much of the world came to admire the way in which the nation came together to reaffirm its commitment to a tolerant liberal society.2 But people remained perplexed about Breivik himself. What were his motives, and how should justice be done?
When people struggle to comprehend what lies behind the mass murder of adolescents gathered for a weekend of discussions and campfires, the simplest response is that the killer “must be mad”. The inexplicable can only be explained as an act of insanity, which by definition cannot be rationally explained. The act was so monstrous, the consequences so grievous, that the perpetrator had to be insane. Yet whilst I was in Oslo, the country was preparing to learn the results of Breivik's psychiatric examinations and all those who we spoke to were insistent that he should not be regarded as mad. And when, to everyone's surprise including my own, the psychiatrists did indeed state that Breivik was suffering from schizophrenia,3 there was an outcry.4 Such reactions are common. All the psychiatrists who interviewed Peter Sutcliffe, the so-called Yorkshire Ripper in the UK, agreed that he had schizophrenia. Normally this would lead to a finding of diminished responsibility and admission to a secure hospital facility. But despite defence and prosecution being in agreement the Judge insisted that the matter had to be put to a jury, because the general public would feel that otherwise Sutcliffe had escaped punishment.5 In practice it made little difference. Sutcliffe was convicted of murder and sent to prison, but soon transferred to Broadmoor Secure Hospital, where he will end his days. Whether he was being punished in prison, or treated in hospital, there was no doubt that he would never be released, since no Home Secretary would agree to that.
But Norway should be different. Norway is a country with one of the best developed mental health systems in the world.6 It prides itself on its tolerant attitude towards mental disorders. When former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik took leave of absence to be treated for depression in 1998 his career did not come to a halt.7 Offenders diagnosed with mental illness are dealt with within the health, not the criminal justice, system. And if the person then recovered, they would be released from hospital on the authority of the psychiatrists, without the possibility of political interference.8 But tolerance can only go so far, and the majority of the Norwegian public saw a label of schizophrenia as allowing Breivik to avoid having to answer to his crimes, and worse, that a psychiatric diagnosis raised the spectre that he could be free again.9
In fact that was always improbable. Many Norwegians themselves were confused about the checks and balances within their own judicial system. A prosecutor can, although they rarely do, challenge the psychiatrist's decision and the matter be returned to Court. And even if the offender has recovered, the power exists to transfer him to prison indefinitely if judged a continuing threat to society.8 Although at the time of writing the Court's verdict remains unknown, as Breivik gives his chilling testimony in Court the chances that he receives a psychiatric disposal rather than a criminal conviction seem to be receding.
The Breivik case highlights two popular misconceptions. First, that outrageous crimes must mean mental illness. Diagnoses in psychiatry are made on the basis of symptoms and motivations, rather than outcomes. For schizophrenia to explain Breivik's actions, they would have to be the result of delusions. Delusions are beliefs that are not only wrong, in the sense of not corresponding to the world as we know it, but they must also not be shared with others of the same cultural background. A psychiatric classic established that individuals with schizophrenia can identify others as mad, even when they share the same delusions.10
Breivik's views on the evils of multiculturalism, immigration, and the threat of Islam mixed in with nonsense about the Knights Templar and so on, are absurd, reprehensible, and abhorrent, but he is not alone. One fears that in the backwoods of Montana or among those who subscribe to what is loosely called “anti Jihadism” are other people like him, who may also have devoted a summer to playing World of Warcraft and believe that Dan Brown writes history. The meticulous way in which he planned his attacks does not speak to the disorganisation of schizophrenia. My colleagues in forensic psychiatry struggle to think of anyone who has had the foresight to bring along a sign stating “sewer cleaning in progress” to avoid drawing attention to the smell of sulphur from the homemade explosives in the back of his vehicle. If a psychiatric parallel is needed, the closest might be the classic case of German school teacher Ernst Wagner, who murdered 15 people in a small village, and was diagnosed with paranoia, or delusional disorder as it is now known.11
The second misconception is that the purpose of psychiatry is to “get people off”. In the UK, however, if you commit murder and want to spend as little time in detention as you can, putting forward a mental illness defence may mean that you will spend more—not fewer—years behind bars.12 And the forensic psychiatry system is not a soft or popular option either. Most offenders have the same prejudices towards mental illness as the general population, and would rather take their chances in prison than be what they call “nutted off”. Similarly, it is a commonplace observation among British forensic psychiatrists that those who have experienced both prison and hospital often prefer the former because “at least they don't try to do your head in”. The widespread anger when it seemed that Breivik was going to be sent to hospital rather than prison reminds us that liberal attitudes to mental illness are still often only skin deep.
I declare that I have no conflicts of interest.
Click to toggle image size
Full-size image (16K) Corbis
I declare that I have no conflicts of interest.

References

1 International Advisory Council on the Health Sector Response to the Terrorist Attacks of June 22, 2011. Lessons for better preparedness. Health effort after the acts of terror July 22, 2011 [in Norwegian]. http://www.helsedirektoratet.no/publikasjoner/lering-for-bedre-beredskap-/Sider/default.aspx. (accessed April 23, 2012).
2 Orange R. “Answer hatred with love”: how Norway tried to cope with the horror of Anders Breivik. The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/15/anders-breivik-norway-copes-horror. (accessed April 23, 2012).
3 Rettspsykiatrisk erklaering Breivik, Anders f. 130279 [in Norwegian]. http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00927/Breivik_rapport_927719a.pdf. (accessed April 23, 2012).
4 Anda LG. Norwegian disbelief at Breivik's insanity. Nov 29, 2011. BBC News World. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15954370. (accessed April 23, 2012).
5 Jenkins P. Serial murder in England 1940—1985. J Crim Justice 1988; 16: 1-15. PubMed
6 Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services. Mental health services in Norway. Prevention—treatment—care. http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/kilde/hod/red/2005/0011/ddd/pdfv/233840-mentalhealthweb.pdf. (accessed April 23, 2012).
7 Bondevik K. Depression and recovery. Interview with Kjell Magne Bondevik by Sarah Mitchell. J Ment Health 2010; 19: 369-372. PubMed
8 Grøndahl P. Scandinavian forensic psychiatric practices : an overview and evaluation. Nord J Psychiatry 2005; 59: 92-102. CrossRef | PubMed

Nord J Psychiatry. 2005;59(2):92-102.

Scandinavian forensic psychiatric practices--an overview and evaluation.

Source

Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. pagron@c2i.net

Abstract

The Scandinavian countries share a social-democratic and humanistic view in that mentally disturbed offenders should not be punished or sentenced to prison if they are considered unaccountable for their actions. The countries differ, however, for example regarding referrals for medico-legal examinations. This article gives: 1) an overview of the Scandinavian forensic psychiatric practices regarding organization, legislation, resources and use of methods, and 2) a study of forensic psychiatric assessment as they are done in the Scandinavian countries. From each country 20 forensic psychiatric court reports concerning male murderers were examined. Each report was scored in five sections: characteristics of the defendant, setting of the observation, acting professions, methods used and premises for the experts' conclusions. Data were summarized with descriptive measures. Danish and Swedish experts had a more frequent use of tests and instruments than Norwegian experts. Swedish experts used the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), and they diagnosed the observant according to DSM-IV. The Scandinavian experts rarely referred to the tests they had applied nor did they refer to any kind of theory or literature as a basis for their conclusion. Only a few reports expressed doubt concerning the validity of the conclusion. Stating all the premises of the forensic psychiatric examination might improve the quality of the reports by doing them more explicit and verifiable. More use of standardized actuarial-based methods and more attention to knowledge about clinical judgmental processes is recommended.
PMID:
16195105
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
9 Korsvold K. The Norwegian system can produce many exonerations.Aftenposten April 13, 2012 [in Norwegian]. http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/22juli/—Det-norske-systemet-kan-gi-mange-feilaktige-frifinnelser-6803402.html. (accessed April 23, 2012).
10 Rokeach M. The three christs of Ypsilanti. New York: Knopf, 1964.
11 Gaupp R. Die wissenschaftliche Bedeutung des “Falles Wagner”. Munchener Medizinische Wochenschrift 1914; 61: 633-637. Translated by Marshall H.. In: Hirsch S, Shepherd M, eds. Themes and variations in European psychiatry: an anthology. Bristol: John Wright, 1974. PubMed
12 Grounds A. The transfer of sentenced prisoners to hospital 1960—83: a study in one special hospital. Br J Criminol 1991; 31: 54-71. PubMed
a Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RS, UK

Simon Wessely - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Simon Wessely - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Simon Wessely
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Simon Wessely (born Sheffield, 1956) is a British psychiatrist. He is professor of epidemiological and liaison psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and Head of its department of psychological medicine, Vice Dean for Academic Psychiatry, Teaching and Training at the Institute of Psychiatry, as well as Director of the King's Centre for Military Health Research. He is also honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at King's College Hospital and Maudsley Hospital, as well as Civilian Consultant Advisor in Psychiatry to the British Army.[1]

BBC News - Breivik case 'shows insanity misconceptions'

BBC News - Breivik case 'shows insanity misconceptions'



Breivik case 'shows insanity misconceptions'


Anders Behring Breivik, in court in Oslo, 25 April Breivik has argued he should either be put to death or acquitted


Horrific crimes, such as the Anders Breivik case, illustrate the misconceptions the public has about mental illness, a leading expert says.

Professor Simon Wessely, of King's College London, said the simplest responses to mass killings were that the perpetrators "must be mad".

But he said the way Breivik carried out the killings suggested otherwise.

He said the idea a psychiatric diagnosis could help people avoid punishment was wrong too.

Writing in the Lancet medical journal, Professor Wessely said putting forward a mental illness defence in the UK could lead a person to spending more time behind bars than fewer.

"The forensic psychiatry system is not a soft or popular option," he added.
'Meticulous way'
The psychiatrist also said the Breivik case highlighted another misconception - that outrageous crimes must mean mental illness.

"For schizophrenia to explain Breivik's actions, they would have to be the result of delusions."

But he added: "The meticulous way in which he planned his attacks does not speak to the disorganisation of schizophrenia."

Breivik is currently on trial in Norway.

The 33-year-old admits to killing 77 people in Oslo and on Utoeya island last July but denies criminal responsibility.

Two reports have been compiled on his mental state and have come to opposing views on his sanity.

The court's ruling on this will determine whether Breivik is sent to jail or into psychiatric care.

Breivik has argued he is not insane and should either be put to death or acquitted.

Experts: Mass killer Breivik likely not insane | BlueRidgeNow.com

Experts: Mass killer Breivik likely not insane | BlueRidgeNow.com

Experts: Mass killer Breivik likely not insane

Published: Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 7:06 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 7:06 p.m.
Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is insisting in court that attempts to label him as insane are misplaced - and some psychiatrists agree that simply committing such monstrous crimes does not mean a person is mentally ill.
Enlarge
Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, right, stands in the courtroom in Oslo, Norway Thursday April 26, 2012. Breivik has slammed a psychiatric report that declared him insane, insisting it was based on "evil fabrications" meant to portray him as irrational and unintelligent. (AP Photo/Hakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB Scanpix, Pool)
The far-right, anti-Islam Breivik has already confessed to committing Norway's worst mass murder in a bomb-and-shooting rampage that killed 77 people last July. Whether or not Breivik is sane is at the crux of his ongoing trial and will determine how he is sentenced.
"Everyone's first assumption is that Breivik must be insane because he's done such terrible things," said Dr. Simon Wessely, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. "But it doesn't automatically follow that he must be mad just because what he has done is inexplicable."
In a commentary published Friday in the British medical journal Lancet, Wessely writes that explanation is too simplistic.
For the 33-year-old Norwegian to be schizophrenic - as some psychiatrists have suggested - his actions would have to be the result of delusions, or based on beliefs not shared by others.
"As ghastly as his views are, there are other people in society who believe countries are being destroyed by multiculturalism and Islam," Wessely said.
Breivik's extraordinarily well-organized and methodical massacre also undermines the idea that he was suffering from a serious mental illness.
"It doesn't tally with the kinds of disorganized crimes usually committed by people with mental health problems," Wessely said.
One Norwegian psychiatric report found Breivik to be insane, while a second concluded that he was sane. A panel of judges is hearing weeks of testimony to decide which is correct.
Breivik himself has slammed reports concluding that he is insane, describing them as based on "evil fabrications." He said earlier this week the worst thing that could happen would be for officials to declare he has a mental illness, since that would "delegitimize" everything he stands for.
Breivik claims the attacks were "necessary" and that the victims - many of whom had some ties to the ruling Labor Party - had betrayed Norway by embracing immigration.
Breivik claims to belong to an anti-Muslim militant group inspired by medieval crusaders and working with two other cells in Norway. Investigators have said they don't believe the group exists, and prosecutor Seven Holder noted that the second psychiatric report described it as a "fantasy."
Some experts said the publicly known information about Breivik and his crimes suggest he has a personality disorder, like psychopathy and narcissism. That may also be apparent in Breivik's complete lack of empathy for his victims or his tendency to remain emotionless in court.
"The way he perceives the world is probably within the bounds of normality," said Dr. Paul Keedwell, a psychiatrist at Cardiff University, who has not examined him and was not linked to the Lancet commentary.
"But because of the personality disorder, he may be overwhelmed by a sense of strong anger and indignation when he believes people are not listening to his point of view," he said.
Keedwell said it was difficult to know the cause of Breivik's condition without knowing more about his personal history. He hypothesized the crimes could have been the result of a series of bad decisions after Breivik had his mind "warped" by far-right propaganda.
"The question society has to decide is what part mental illness played and at what point he will be held accountable for his vile actions."
If found guilty and sane, Breivik will face 21 years in prison, though he could be held longer if deemed a danger to society. If declared insane, he would be committed to mandatory psychiatric care.
---
Online:

Most Evil - Delusional Thinking - YouTube

Most Evil - Delusional Thinking - YouTube


Uploaded by on Oct 13, 2008
What drives a person to think in such a delusional manner? Dr. Stone will try to answer this question by interviewing convicted murderer Diana Dial.

2:27 PM 4/26/2012 - Forensic and Prison Psychiatry News Review

2:27 PM 4/26/2012 - Forensic and Prison Psychiatry News Review

Mike Nova's starred items

via Forensic and General Psychiatry News Review by Mike Nova on 4/26/12
Mike Nova comments: It means, that ethnic groups sharing geological proximity also share collective ("ethnic, national, aggregate") personality traits; most likely because they share common genetic pool and genetic traits (due to intermarriage). Which is another indirect proof that "national characters" are genetically, biologically determined (although socially "constructed").

via British Journal of Psychology by Garry A. Gelade on 3/26/12
This paper examines the distribution of national personality dimensions in geographical space. The relationship between geographical location and aggregate personality in a wide range of nations is quantified using spatial autocorrelation, and it is found that the personalities of nations that are geographical neighbours are more similar than those that are far apart. The five factors of both the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI), all show a significant degree of spatial organization. The personality factors most strongly associated with geographical location are NEO-PI-R extraversion and BFI conscientiousness; both vary with position around the globe about as much as the physical climate. These findings support previous research suggesting associations between aggregate personality and geography, and imply that the sources of variation in national personality are themselves geographically organized.

via Prison News on 4/26/12
More than 160 violent criminals and sex offenders are at large in the community despite breaching the terms of their release or committing another offence, figures showed.

via prison mental health - Google Blog Search by Dawn Willis on 4/26/12
Dawn Really Rates These Valuable Contributors To Mental Wealth! ... #Prison: Cornton Vale inmates with mental health problems should be moved, claims report.#mhuk # ... Posted in Mental Health, The News & Policies.

Chapter of Psychiatrists Seminar 3rd Jun 2011
From:SYPTSPA
Views:30
0ratings
Time:10:00More inEducation

Chapter of Psychiatrists Forensic Seminar 3rd Jun 2011
From:SYPTSPA
Views:149
1ratings
Time:10:01More inEducation

Chapter of Psychiatrists Forensic Seminar 3rd Jun 2011
From:SYPTSPA
Views:117
1ratings
Time:10:01More inEducation

Chapter of Psychiatrists Forensic Seminar 3rd Jun 2011
From:SYPTSPA
Views:44
1ratings
Time:06:04More inEducation

via pubmed: forensic psychiatry by Zagar RJ, Busch KG, Felthous AR on 4/26/12
Introduction to this Issue: International Perspectives on Juvenile Crime.
Behav Sci Law. 2012 Mar;30(2):87-9
Authors: Zagar RJ, Busch KG, Felthous AR
PMID: 22496045 [PubMed - in process]

via pubmed: forensic psychiatry by Anckarsäter H, Lundström S, Kollberg L, Kerekes N, Palm C, Carlström E, Långström N, Magnusson PK, Halldner L, Bölte S, Gillberg C, Gumpert C, Råstam M, Lichtenstein P on 4/26/12
The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS).
Twin Res Hum Genet. 2011 Dec;14(6):495-508
Authors: Anckarsäter H, Lundström S, Kollberg L, Kerekes N, Palm C, Carlström E, Långström N, Magnusson PK, Halldner L, Bölte S, Gillberg C, Gumpert C, Råstam M, Lichtenstein P
Abstract
The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) is an ongoing longitudinal twin study targeting all twins born in Sweden since July 1, 1992. Since 2004, parents of twins are interviewed regarding the children's somatic and mental health and social environment in connection with their 9th or 12th birthdays (CATSS-9/12). By January 2010, 8,610 parental interviews concerning 17,220 twins had been completed, with an overall response rate of 80%. At age 15 (CATSS-15) and 18 (CATSS-18), twins and parents complete questionnaires that, in addition to assessments of somatic and mental health, include measures of personality development and psychosocial adaptation. Twin pairs in CATSS-9/12 with one or both twins screening positive for autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tic disorders, developmental coordination disorder, learning disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and/or eating problems have been followed with in-depth questionnaires on family, social environment and personality, and subsequently by clinical assessments at age 15 together with randomly selected population controls, including 195 clinically assessed twin pairs from the first 2 year cohorts (CATSS-15/DOGSS). This article describes the cohorts and study groups, data collection, and measures used. Prevalences, distributions, heritability estimates, ages at onset, and sex differences of mental health problems in the CATSS-9/12, that were analyzed and found to be overall comparable to those of other clinical and epidemiological studies. The CATSS study has the potential of answering important questions on the etiology of childhood mental health problems and their role in the development of later adjustment problems.
PMID: 22506305 [PubMed - in process]

via pubmed: forensic psychiatry by Carabellese F, Candelli C, Vinci F, Tamma M, Catanesi R on 4/26/12
Elderly Sexual Offenders: Two Unusual Cases*
J Forensic Sci. 2012 Apr 17;
Authors: Carabellese F, Candelli C, Vinci F, Tamma M, Catanesi R
Abstract
  The aim of this case report is to describe two cases of sexual abuse by elderly subjects for which the Judge commissioned an expert psychiatric-forensic opinion. The elderly are generally believed to commit nonviolent crimes, whereas the two cases we observed feature forcible rape committed by elderly offenders, who showed no form of mental disease and had rationally planned their offense. They had never previously committed similar acts and had no history of homosexuality; both had been married for many years before the death of their wives and had adult children. Finally, no previous episodes of rape emerged in their personal histories during interrogations. The sociocultural context in which the crimes were committed was identical and arouses interest as regards both the method employed and how the crimes were discovered. The legal authorities then commissioned accurate investigations including medicolegal and psychiatric-forensic evaluations of the offenders and their victims.
PMID: 22509748 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

In recent years, dozens of jurisdictions around the country have established juvenile mental health courts, but their strengths and weaknesses have yet to be assessed.Abstract Teaser

This post has been generated by Page2RSS

via Psychiatric Times on 4/19/12
Psychology and psychiatry at the turn of the last century considered the will an indispensable category. Not so today.

via prisons - Google News on 4/25/12

Legislators wary about recovery propose big cuts for state prison system
Detroit Free Press
By Paul Egan LANSING -- The state would close and privatize a 1300-bed prison in Ionia and three juvenile detention facilities and make significant cuts to prison support staff under budget bills moving quickly through the Legislature.

and more »

via prisons - Google News on 4/26/12

Prisons urged to use technology to fight drug smuggling
Vancouver Sun
A parliamentary committee is encouraging further exploration of the use of technology, including cell-phone-jamming devices, as a way to combat the smuggling of drugs into Canada's prisons. Critics fear, however, that signal-jamming devices could ...
Cellphone jamming may limit smuggling of drugs in prisonsVictoria Times Colonist
MPs ponder ways to block contraband inmate cellphonesCanada.com

all 12 news articles »

via prisons - Google News on 4/26/12

Prisons Hit Hard By Malaria
AllAfrica.com
By Petride Mudoola, 26 April 2012 There is an alarming spread of malaria in prisons, the medical superintendent at Murchison Bay hospital, Dr Joseph Andama has said. "Malaria infection in prisons is much higher than the national prevalency rate due to ...

and more »

via prisons - Google News on 4/26/12

The Way

From political schemer to prison reformer: The life of Chuck Colson remembered
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By ARAcontent In 1974 the Watergate scandal sent Chuck Colson, White House special counsel and self-described "hatchet man," to federal prison. After experiencing a conversion to evangelical Christianity - a metamorphosis so improbable he later joked ...
Religion: Why Colson spent Easter in prisonsThe Republic
Cal Thomas: Chuck Colson's transformation was the real dealDelmarva Daily Times
Chuck Colson fought for the forgottenCNN
The Way -Wall Street Journal -Washington Post (blog)
all 74 news articles »

Mike Nova comments: It means, that ethnic groups sharing geological proximity also share collective ("ethnic, national, aggregate") personality traits; most likely because they share common genetic pool and genetic traits (due to intermarriage). Which is another indirect proof that "national characters" are genetically, biologically determined (although socially "constructed")

Mike Nova comments: It means, that ethnic groups sharing geological proximity also share collective ("ethnic, national, aggregate") personality traits; most likely because they share common genetic pool and genetic traits (due to intermarriage). Which is another indirect proof that "national characters" are genetically, biologically determined (although socially "constructed").

via British Journal of Psychology by Garry A. Gelade on 3/26/12
This paper examines the distribution of national personality dimensions in geographical space. The relationship between geographical location and aggregate personality in a wide range of nations is quantified using spatial autocorrelation, and it is found that the personalities of nations that are geographical neighbours are more similar than those that are far apart. The five factors of both the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI), all show a significant degree of spatial organization. The personality factors most strongly associated with geographical location are NEO-PI-R extraversion and BFI conscientiousness; both vary with position around the globe about as much as the physical climate. These findings support previous research suggesting associations between aggregate personality and geography, and imply that the sources of variation in national personality are themselves geographically organized.

Breivik Trial News Review - 1:34 PM 4/26/2012 - Mike Nova's starred items

Google Reader - Mike Nova's starred items

Breivik Trial News Review - 1:34 PM 4/26/2012

Mike Nova's starred items


The trial of Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik has today entered its second week, with many interesting but chilling details having been revealed about the bombing in Oslo and subsequent shootings on the ...


The West Australian

Breivik accuses experts of lies as he pleads for his sanity
The West Australian
OSLO (AFP) - Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway last July, insisted Wednesday he was of sound mind and accused a team of psychiatric experts of making things up to prove him insane. "I think that all of Norway has seen I am not ...


New York Daily News

Anders Behring Breivik Trial: Norway Killer Gloats In Court, Norwegians Shows ...
Huffington Post
By KARL RITTER 04/22/12 12:00 PM ET OSLO, Norway — You would have forgiven Norwegians for showing more outrage against confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik. When he walks in to court flashing a right-wing salute. When he testifies effortlessly ...
Norway mass killer: There's 'racist' plot to discredit meNew York Daily News
Trial sharpens focus on Breivik's mental stateSeattle Post Intelligencer
Mad or bad? Breivik's mental state puzzles expertsReuters
USA TODAY -New York Times
all 1,984 news articles »


Boston.com

Breivik says psychiatric report deeming him insane is full of 'fabrications'
Christian Science Monitor
Anders Behring Breivik, the man behind Norway's terror attacks last summer, said in court today that the psychiatrists made up 80 percent of the report and don't understand politically motivated violence. By Valeria Criscione, Correspondent / April 25, ...
Breivik's publicity at trial just what he wantedBoston.com
Breivik: Insane diagnosis based on 'fabrications'USA TODAY
Breivik says insane diagnosis based on 'fabrications'New York Daily News

all 942 news articles »


Tens of thousands protest at Norway Breivik trial
Reuters
| OSLO (Reuters) - Around 40000 people gathered in Oslo on Thursday to sing a popular children's song ridiculed by Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people last July, as a show of protest against the right-wing activist's anti-immigrant views.


BBC News

Anders Behring Breivik: Oslo bomb survivors testify
BBC News
Survivors of Anders Behring Breivik's bomb attack on Oslo on 22 July have been testifying on the ninth day of his trial in the Norwegian capital. One, Harald Fosker, had to have surgery on his face as a result of the blast in the government quarter, ...
Thousands defy Norway mass killer Breivik in songKansas City Star
Breivik says psychiatric report deeming him insane is full of 'fabrications'Christian Science Monitor
Breivik's publicity at trial just what he wantedBoston.com
USA TODAY
all 1,046 news articles »

via Google News on 4/19/12

Norway mass-shooting trial reopens debate on violent video games
CNN International
By John D. Sutter, CNN The military action game, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," sold more than 10 million copies upon its 2009 release. (CNN) -- Norway's alleged mass killer testified on Thursday that he played video games as a way to train for a ...

and more »

I sat down on the sofa last night with my copy of Aftenposten, turning the pages in hopes of finding something to read that wasn't about Anders Behring Breivik, or, paradoxically, the surge of immigrants coming to Norway (an ...


Daily Mail

Anders Behring Breivik trial: Lawyers rubbish claims mass killer was part of ...
Daily Mail
By Lee Moran Lawyers in the trial of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik today set about rubbishing his claims that he was part of a sophisticated anti-Muslim militant group. Prosecutors said they believed the 33-year-old's so-called Knights ...
Anders Breivik trial: Who are the Knights Templar?Toronto Star
Who are the Knights Templar? A look at many groupsFox News

all 108 news articles »