Prevalence and correlates of aggressive behavior in psychiatric inpatient populations

Violent behavior associated with mental disorders is a common reason for admission to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Once hospitalized, patients may continue to be intermittently agitated and have persistent aggressive behaviors, preventing their discharge back into the community. Managing agitation quickly with effective pharmacological agents can avoid further escalation to aggression and violence. In the acute setting, this usually involves the parenteral use of antipsychotics, with or without benzodiazepines. Within the past decade, short-acting intramuscular formulations of second-generation antipsychotics have become available and provide a means to induce calm with a substantially lower risk of acute dystonia or akathisia compared with haloperidol. New alternative formulations that avoid injections include inhalation and sublingual administration. Longer-term management of persistent aggressive behavior by reducing the frequency and intensity of future episodes of agitation is more complex. In contrast to agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania, no agents have yet been approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of persistent aggressive behavior. The strongest evidence supports the use of clozapine as an antihostility agent, followed by olanzapine. Adjunctive strategies with anticonvulsants and beta-adrenergic agents may also be worthwhile to consider.

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807 – The relationship between ward occupancy level and staff-to-patient ratio and incidents of aggressive behavior on an acute psychiatric inpatient unit in iran

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(13)75992-3 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

B. Motamedi ◽

M. Pak

Keyword(s):

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient ◽

Inpatient Unit ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient Unit ◽

The Relationship

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Aggressive behavior on a women's psychiatric inpatient unit

General Hospital Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.09.008 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

VictoriaM. Wilkins ◽

Robert E. Kelly ◽

Saira N. Haider ◽

Brianna Correale ◽

Marilyn M. Byrne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient ◽

Inpatient Unit ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient Unit

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Substance Abuse in Older Psychiatric Inpatients

SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice ◽

10.1024/0939-5911/a000476 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 115-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tilman Wetterling ◽

Klaus Junghanns

Keyword(s):

Substance Abuse ◽

Substance Abusers ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient ◽

Psychiatric Inpatients ◽

Severe Withdrawal ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment ◽

Clinical Diagnoses ◽

Multiple Substance ◽

Icd 10 ◽

Substance Abuse Disorders

Abstract. Aim: This study investigates the characteristics of older patients with substance abuse disorders admitted to a psychiatric department serving about 250.000 inhabitants. Methods: The clinical diagnoses were made according to ICD-10. The data of the patients with substance abuse were compared to a matched sample of psychiatric inpatients without substance abuse as well as to a group of former substance abusers with long-term abstinence. Results: 19.3 % of the 941 patients aged > 65 years showed current substance abuse, 9.4 % consumed alcohol, 7.9 % took benzodiazepines or z-drugs (zolpidem and zopiclone), and 7.0 % smoked tobacco. Multiple substance abuse was rather common (30.8 %). About 85 % of the substance abusers had psychiatric comorbidity, and about 30 % showed severe withdrawal symptoms. As with the rest of the patients, somatic multimorbidity was present in about 70 % of the substance abusers. Remarkable was the lower rate of dementia in current substance abusers. Conclusion: These results underscore that substance abuse is still a challenge in the psychiatric inpatient treatment of older people.

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Participant Reactions to Suicide-Focused Research

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000650 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 367-374

Author(s):

Sarah P. Carter ◽

Brooke A. Ammerman ◽

Heather M. Gebhardt ◽

Jonathan Buchholz ◽

Mark A. Reger

Keyword(s):

Medical Records ◽

Research Study ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient ◽

Small Sample ◽

Inpatient Unit ◽

Online Laboratory ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient Unit ◽

Before And After ◽

Participant Reactions

Abstract. Background: Concerns exist regarding the perceived risks of conducting suicide-focused research among an acutely distressed population. Aims: The current study assessed changes in participant distress before and after participation in a suicide-focused research study conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Method: Participants included 37 veterans who were receiving treatment on a psychiatric inpatient unit and completed a survey-based research study focused on suicide-related behaviors and experiences. Results: Participants reported no significant changes in self-reported distress. The majority of participants reported unchanged or decreased distress. Reviews of electronic medical records revealed no behavioral dysregulation and minimal use of as-needed medications or changes in mood following participation. Limitations: The study's small sample size and veteran population may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Findings add to research conducted across a variety of settings (i.e., outpatient, online, laboratory), indicating that participating in suicide-focused research is not significantly associated with increased distress or suicide risk.

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Assessing Social Skills in Health Professional Services

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759.21.3.173 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 173-181

Author(s):

Francisco Gil ◽

Jesús Sanz ◽

María Paz García-Vera ◽

José M. León ◽

Silvia Medina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Professional ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Professional Services ◽

Quality Of Health Services

Abstract. The quality of health services depends on the contribution of all the professionals involved in the system, including certain groups, usually forgotten and underrated, such as the health-transport technicians (HTT). With the aim of improving this group's performance, an intervention program, focusing on the development of the workers' technical and social skills, was designed in a collective of enterprises. Information about the first stage of this program, consisting of the assessment of these workers' social skills, is offered in this study. A specific questionnaire was developed: The Health-Transport Technicians Social Skills Questionnaire (HTT-SSQ), made up of three scales (assertive, passive, and aggressive behavior). It was administered to a large sample (N = 530) from the above-mentioned association. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were analyzed, with quite satisfactory indexes of internal consistency and factor validity, and the group's deficiencies (excess or deficit) were evaluated.

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The Hitman Study

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 99-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Christopher J. Ferguson ◽

Stephanie M. Rueda

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Young Adults ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Video Game ◽

Real Life ◽

Mood Management ◽

Video Game Play ◽

Video Game Playing ◽

Violent Video Game ◽

The Social

This article explores commonly discussed theories of violent video game effects: the social learning, mood management, and catharsis hypotheses. An experimental study was carried out to examine violent video game effects. In this study, 103 young adults were given a frustration task and then randomized to play no game, a nonviolent game, a violent game with good versus evil theme (i.e., playing as a good character taking on evil), or a violent game in which they played as a “bad guy.” Results indicated that randomized video game play had no effect on aggressive behavior; real-life violent video game-playing history, however, was predictive of decreased hostile feelings and decreased depression following the frustration task. Results do not support a link between violent video games and aggressive behavior, but do suggest that violent games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management.

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