Citation

Nijman HL. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. Suppl. 2002; (412): 142-143.

Affiliation

Forensic Psychiatric Hospital De Kijvelanden, Poortugaal, the Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12072146

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Research of the determinants of inpatient aggression indicates that certain environmental hospital variables play a role in triggering aggression in psychiatric hospitals. Yet, how patient, staff and ward variables interact in eliciting aggression is not well understood. METHOD: On the basis of earlier findings, a model was proposed in which psychopathology and distorted cognitions of the patient are combined with environmental and communicational stressors that are specific for psychiatric wards. RESULTS: The proposed model elucidates how certain patient, staff and ward characteristics may interact in causing aggression. The model also emphasizes that repeated inpatient aggression may be the result of a vicious circle, i.e. inpatient violence is often followed by an increase in environmental and/or communication stress on the patient, thereby heightening the risk of a repeated outburst of violence. CONCLUSION: Although tentative, the model may shed light on the mechanisms that lead to (repeated) violence.

Language: en