Violence Risk Assessment in Mental Disorders with the HCR-20

ARBACH, K.; ANDRÉS-PUEYO, A.

Papeles del Psicólogo

Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Psicólogos, España

Año: 2008 vol. 28 p. 174 - 186

0214-7823

The relationship between mental illness and violence is complex and controversial. In spite of the difficulties and prejudices, its study should not be avoided given that its consequences affect the health and well-being of people who suffer from mental disorders and their environment. Many mental health professionals who work in clinical or forensic settings are faced with this problem daily and on several occasions with the urgency of dealing with violent behaviour. Despite the overwhelming evidence obtained in the last twenty years concerning the reality of this problem, there still persists the belief that speaking about violence and mental illness has negative effects on patients because it increases their social stigmata.Recent epidemiologic research questions these beliefs and it has facilitated the development of adequate strategies to prevent and predict these problems. Evidence indicates that mental disorder is a risk factor for future violence and that the probability of its happening can be predicted,  prevented or minimized. For this aim, violence risk assessment guides such as the HCR-20 have been developed for professional applications. The HCR-20 is a violence assessment guide specifically designed  for the prediction and management of the risk of future violence in people with a mental disorder or people who have committed one or more violent crimes. In this paper, there is a brief revision of recent epidemiologic findings regarding the relationship between violence and mental disorder, a description of the HCR-20 guide also is included, emphasizing its use in clinical settings and institutions. Finally, the preliminary results of a study conducted in Spain to explore its predictive validity in a sample of people with a severe mental disorder are shown.