A comparative study of status of family functioning and mental health in male offenders who convicted of premeditated murder and normal individuals in province of Isfahan

Aim: Considering structural role of family functioning and mental health in shaping the character of children and its importance in the prevention of crime, the study aimed to compare the status of family functioning and mental health in male offenders who convicted of premeditated murder and normal individuals in province of Isfahan in 2012. Methods: This study was causal-comparative. Research statistical population was all male offenders who were sentenced to death and ordinary individuals in Isfahan province. Thus, 313 individuals were selected. Of this number 150 male offenders convicted of premeditated murder in the central prison of Isfahan were randomly selected and 163 cases of teachers were selected by cluster sampling method as the normal group in Isfahan. Family functioning assesses the scale and mental health questionnaire was administered to them, and data from this research using descriptive and inferential statistic t-test for independent groups were analyzed. Results: It was shown that difference was significant between the two groups in dimensions of communication, problem-solving, affective responsiveness, behavior control, and overall performance (P < 0/001) but difference was not significant in dimensions of affective involvement and role playing (P > 0/05). Also, it was shown that there is no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the dimensions of the mental health (P > 0/05). Conclusions: Therefore concluded to check the factors causing crime such as premeditated murder must be looking for interactive and communication behavior patterns of people with others to pursue personality characteristics and individual of people.