FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY CHANGES OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS

ARBACH, K.; GARCÍA-FORERO, C.; POMAROL-CLOTET, E.; GOMAR, J.; ANDRÉS-PUEYO, A.

Amsterdam

Congreso; 5th European Congress in Violence in Clinical Psychiatry; 2007

Oud Consultancy

Background: Inpatient aggression is a prevalent behavior on psychiatric wards, it causes a serious threat to the safety and well-being of psychiatric patients and their caregivers and is in fact a major determinant of the need for institutionalization1,2,3,4. The measurement and prevention of violence should have a high priority in psychiatric hospitals. Standardized definitions of violence, prospective designs and considerable follow up periods are urged in order to fulfill this aims accurately5. The researchers had proposed that an objective, multivariable instrument is a necessary first step toward studying aggression in psychiatric facilities6,7. Objective of study: The purpose of the study is to explore frequency and severity variations and predictors of violent behavior in different psychiatric hospital wards throughout one year period. Methods: A one year follow up study was made in a sample of 113 chronic and subacute patients. Initially, clinical and sociodemographic variables were assessed using clinical flies and collateral informants. The outcome variable was recorded with a Spanish translation of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the data were analyzed by means of a panel design. Results: In those patients who completed the 12 months follow-up, 38% presented at least one violent behaviour in any MOAS categories. Verbal aggression was the most frequent and self-aggressions the least frequent. Those patients less severely affected in their global functioning were those who showed more violent behaviours in all MOAS categories. Although mean frequency of violent behaviour did not vary during the year, severity of aggressions increased substantively in one group probably due to environmental variables. Different variables were associated with violence by group and period of the follow-up. Some of them were predictors of aggressive behaviour and they could be important targets of risk management and prevention strategies.