Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T06:04:04.110Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Violence and its prediction at a psychiatric hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

N. Sjöström*
Affiliation:
Göteborg University, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska Hospital, S-413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
D.N. Eder
Affiliation:
Göteborg University, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska Hospital, S-413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
U. Malm
Affiliation:
Göteborg University, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska Hospital, S-413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
J. Beskow
Affiliation:
Göteborg University, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska Hospital, S-413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
*
*Correspondence and reprints. E-mail address:Nils.Sjostrom@neuro.gu.se (N. Sjöström).
Get access

Summary

Aggressive behaviour in psychiatric inpatients was assessed before and after a training course for staff members. The Social Dysfunction Aggression Scale (SDAS) was used to report and assess aggressive behaviour over time, and the Staff Observation Aggression Scale (SOAS) to report and assess single aggressive incidents. In addition, the numbers of nursing staff members who were on sick leave because of injuries in the periods before and after the course were recorded and compared. No statistically significant reduction was found in the number of aggressive patients or in the number of staff members on sick leave. One interesting finding was a lower reporting on the SOAS of perceived aggressive incidents after the training course in comparison with the SDAS reports. Directed verbal aggressiveness and violence towards things were found to be predictors of violence.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Åkerström, M.Våld och hot i sjukvårdarbeten – dokumentation av en riksrepresentatativ studie. Network Res Criminol Deviant Behav 1993; 3: xxx.Google Scholar
Almvik, RWoods, P.The Bröset Violence Checklist and(BVC) and the prediction of inpatient violence: some preliminary results. Psychiatr Care 1998; 5: 208–11.Google Scholar
Åsberg, M.Monoamine neurotransmitters in human aggressiveness and violence: a selective review. Criminal Behav Ment Health 1994; 4: 303–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bang-Kittilsen, SAsserson, KElgen, LHeldin, LJuel, MNerdrum, T. et al. Kvalitetskontroll av zuclopenthixol acetat hos psykotiske pasienter med aggressiv holding eller adferd. Multisenterregistrering ved sju norske og svenske sykehus. Nord J PsychiatrySuppl 351995 7993.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bech, P.Measurement by observations of aggressive behaviour and activities in clinical situations. Criminal Behav Ment Health 1994; 4: 290302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, MF.Incidence of PTSD among staff victims of patient violence. Hosp Community Psychiatry 1992; 43: 838–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Carmel, HHunter, M.Staff injuries from inpatient violence. Hosp Community Psychiatry 1989; 40: 41–6.Google ScholarPubMed
Dale, EMcNiel, DEBinder, RLGreenfield, TK.Predictors of violence in civilly committed acute psychiatric patients. Am J Psychiatry 1988; 145: 965–70.Google Scholar
Ekblom, BHäll, G.Våldshandlingar från psykiatriska patienter inom sluten vård i ett större perspektiv. Översikt och tendenser. Socialmedicinsk Tidskrift 1990; 7: 325–7.Google Scholar
European Rating Aggression Group (ERAG). Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS-21) in generalized aggression and in aggressive attacks: a validity and reliability study. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 1992; 2: 15–29.Google Scholar
Hodgins, S.Mental disorder, intellectual deficiency and crime. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1992; 49: 476–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linaker, OMBusch-Iversen, H.Predictors of imminent violence in psychiatric inpatients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1995; 92: 250–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nilsson, KPalmstierna, TWistedt, B.Aggressive behaviour in hospitalized psychogeriatric patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1988; 78: 172175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Omérov, MWistedt, BElgen, K.Treatment of acutely disturbed psychotic patients: assessment of a new treatment strategy. Nord J PsychiatrySuppl 351995 6377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Omérov, MWistedt, B.Manageable violence in a new ward for acutely admitted patients. Eur Psychiatry 1997; 12: 311–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmstierna, TLassenius, RWistedt, B.Evaluation of the Brief Psychopathological Rating Scale in relation to aggressive behaviour of acute involuntary admitted patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1989; 81: 152–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmstierna, TWistedt, B.Changes in the pattern of aggressive behaviour among inpatients with changed ward organization. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1995; 91: 32–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Palmstierna, TWistedt, B.Risk factors for aggressive behaviour are of limited value in predicting the violent behaviour of acute involuntary admitted patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1989; 79: 313–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmstierna, T.Aggressive behaviour from institutionalized psychiatric patients – a methodological study with clinical applications [dissertation]. Stockholm: Karolinska Institute. 1992Google Scholar
Palmstierna, T.Staff observation aggression scale, SOAS: presentation and evaluation. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1987; 76: 657–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Palmstierna, T.Våldsproblematiken i den akuta psykiatriska vården. Socialmedicinsk Tidskrift 1990; 7: 333–6.Google Scholar
Wistedt, BRasmussen, APedersen, LMalm, UTräskman-Bendz, LWakelin, J. et al. The development of an observer-scale for measuring social dysfunction and aggression. Pharmacopsychiatry 1990; 23: 249–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.