[Prediction of violent behavior in schizophrenic inpatients]

Abstract

Background: Some studies point up the frequent aggressiveness showed by the schizophrenic in-patients. The aim of this research is to know some possible predictors factors of this violence, in order to prevent it.

Method: A two-year long retrospective study was carried out on acts of physical violence committed by schizophrenic in-patients in a General Hospital. This group was compared with a non-aggressive control group.

Results: Twenty-nine (29) patients committed ninety (90) acts of assault. The predictive value for violence has been evaluated using twelve variables (court orders, clinical diagnosis, past history of violence, sex, age, married, single, employment status, profession, cohabitation, previous hospitalizations and recent hospitalization) through Discriminative Analysis of the aggressive group and another control of seventy-two (72) non-aggressive schizophrenic patients. Four significant variables turned out to be predictive of violent behaviour: being clinically diagnosed as residual, having a past history of violence, being unemployed and living alone.

Conclusions: The fact of being diagnosed as residual schizophrenia is always predictive of very aggressive behaviour. Using these four variables, a classification tree for violence prediction in schizophrenic in-patients has been established.