Forensic behavioral and neuroscience – Katarina Howner's Research Group

From Gene to Brain – Different Aspects of the Concept of Psychopathy (GeBra I & II)

GeBra I is a cross-sectional study including clients in the Prison and Probation Service with the aim of investigating the relationship between specific candidate genes, personality traits and neuropsychological functions with a special focus on psychopathic traits and behaviors. GeBra II is a brain imaging study with the aim of investigating biological correlates in the brain linked to psychopathic traits in the normal population.

The Triarchic Model of Psychopathy Linked to Fearless Temperament and Empathy (TriFE)

TriFE is a PhD project that investigates the relationship between psychopathic personality traits, specific reaction patterns in heart rate variability (HRV) and the ability to recognize emotions. The study is being conducted at the National Board of Forensic Medicine's forensic psychiatric examination unit in Stockholm. We compare inmates with individuals from the general population in order to map how personality and stable emotional reaction patterns relate to empathy (empathy), and to investigate how these factors are related to the risk of crime and recidivism.

The Stockholm Project for Forensic Psychiatry (SPRrättt)

SPRrätt is an ongoing study that compares three different groups of individuals; those with psychosis spectrum diagnoses who have behaved violently, those with psychosis spectrum diagnoses who do not have a history of violence, and healthy people in society. The project utilizes brain imaging in the form of fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy), measures of skin conductance during various exercises and analysis of expression of facial emotions during different cognition and social cognition tests. The goal is to give healthcare tools to become better at identifying and treating individuals before violent acts are committed.

Custody conflict and violence in connection with separation

This is a population-based registry study of parent couples with minor children where we study what distinguishes the couples who initiate a legal dispute from those who deal with issues of custody, residence and access after separation out of court. The aim of the project is to identify risk factors for custody disputes and violence in connection with separation, with a particular focus on, for example, mental and physical ill-health, violence and other crime. We also want to study the consequences for children and parents in terms of health and social factors.

Longitudinal interview study on girls in compulsory care experiences of care and treatment at SiS

This study aims to investigate the experience of care and treatment during the stay at SiS among girls, 15-18 years, placed at LVU treatment center. The intention is to investigate how the girls experience their situation as placed, and about the experience of being cared for in private. In addition, we will investigate what experiences the girls gain when they are discharged from SiS, by conducting follow-up interviews about six months after the girls have been discharged from SiS.

Psychiatric care needs among children, adolescents and clients within the National Board of Institutional Care 

This is a study that is in the final phase, and which with a cross-sectional design has mapped established psychiatric diagnoses, clinical symptoms of psychiatric disorders and acute psychiatric conditions in those who are forcibly placed within SiS. 

Intimate partner violence

Within this theme, a research project is being conducted that aims to investigate the extent and characteristics of fatal intimate partner violence in Sweden between 1990 and 2021. This project also includes studying other lethal violence against women to investigate the development of lethal violence affecting women, as well as identifying typologies of perpetrators based on information about perpetrator, victim and perpetrator. Another project, which is based on qualitative interviews, examines how perpetrators of intimate partner violence themselves reason regarding violence problems, need for help, and receptivity to and experiences of interventions. The project is based on in-depth interviews with both prosecuted and voluntarily seeking perpetrators of intimate partner violence.

Another collaboration within this theme is with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in a long-standing project on intimate partner violence. These studies include randomized tests of cognitive treatment in groups for perpetrators of violence who want to, but are unable to, limit their violence. The treatment includes both men and women and has shown good results at one- and five-year follow-ups. The results have been promising, with high precision in risk assessments and efficiency in interventions, such as rapid installation of violent alarms. During the seven years the project has been running, no partner murders have occurred.

Follow-up of forensic psychiatric assessments

The project consists of a cohort study of people who have undergone an extended §7 examination or a forensic psychiatric examination. The purpose is to investigate whether there are differences between investigative units, how the courts handle the assessments in the choice of sanction, how the persons function within the framework of the sanction and the occurrence of recidivism. 

Empathy Deficiency and Deadly Violence: From Sadism and Psychopathy to Autism and Insanity

The PhD project investigates the relationship between deficiencies in empathy and lethal violence in Sweden from different aspects through four sub-studies based on registry data, judgments and forensic psychiatric opinions. The project contributes new knowledge about offender profiles, criminal behaviour and mental illness in connection with lethal violence.

The time before the offence - Risk patterns in psychiatric care before a criminal act

The aim of the study is to identify risk patterns among psychiatric patients who commit criminal acts and subsequently undergo forensic psychiatric evaluation. The objective is to increase risk awareness within psychiatric services and in the long term contribute to reducing the risk of psychiatric patients becoming forensic psychiatric patients.

Publications in Swedish

Dödligt Partnervåld Mot Unga. Caman S & Skott S. Jämställdhetsmyndigheten. November 2023.

Från gen till hjärna. Howner K, Pauli M, Liljeberg J, Alonso HÖ. Norrköping: Kriminalvården Digitaltryck 2020, ISBN: 978-91-89067-00-4. 

SBU. Behandling och bedömning i rättspsykiatrisk vård. En kartläggning av systematiska översikter. Stockholm: Statens beredning för medicinsk och social utvärdering (SBU); 2017. SBU-rapport nr 264. ISBN 978-91-88437-06-8.

SBU. Läkemedelsbehandling inom rättspsykiatrisk vård. En systematisk översikt och utvärdering av medicinska, hälsoekonomiska, sociala och etiska aspekter. Stockholm: Statens beredning för medicinsk och social utvärdering (SBU); 2018. SBU-rapport nr 286. ISBN 978-91-88437-28-0.

Our research is funded by grants from:

• Rättsmedicinalverket
• Karolinska Institutet
• Socialstyrelsen
• SiS