Violence and psychiatric morbidity in the national household population of Britain: public health implications

Abstract

Background: It is unclear whether psychiatric morbidity contributes to the small proportion of the population responsible for a large percentage of antisocial behaviour, including violence.

Aims: To measure associations between psychiatric morbidity and severity, chronicity and types of victims of violence in the national household population of Britain.

Method: Cross-sectional survey of persons in households (n = 8397).Data included self-reported location, victims and outcome of violence over the previous 5 years. Diagnoses were determined by computer-assisted interviews.

Results: Hazardous drinking was associated with over half of all incidents involving injury. Antisocial personality disorder conveyed an attributable risk of 24% of respondents reporting victim injuries, but screening positive for psychosis conveyed an attributable risk of only 1.2%.

Conclusions: The burden of care resulting from violence associated with hazardous drinking supports population interventions. Despite exceptional risks, half of respondents with antisocial personality disorder were not violent, indicating limitations in targeted interventions to detain high-risk individuals.