Citation

Karson C, Bigelow LB. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 1987; 175(3): 161-164.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1987, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2880927

Abstract

We undertook a retrospective survey of assaultive behavior in 140 psychiatric inpatient research volunteers who had not previously responded well to neuroleptic treatment. Forty-one of 97 patients with schizophrenia became assaultive during their hospitalization, whereas only four of 43 patients with other diagnoses became assaultive (p less than .0001). Most assaults were not a significant threat to the attacked person, but a small number were highly dangerous. Assaultive patients were significantly younger, and a greater proportion had a previous history of violence, compared with nonassaultive patients. A previous history of violent behavior was linked to more previous hospitalizations, indicating that such behavior might be associated with a poor prognosis.

Language: en