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Mapping aggressive behavior of forensic psychiatric inpatients with self-report and structured staff-monitoring
Klein Tuente,Stéphanie Bogaerts,Stefan Veling,Wim
Klein Tuente,Stéphanie
Bogaerts,Stefan
Veling,Wim
Abstract
Structured assessment of aggressive behavior in forensic psychiatry is needed. This study investigated staff-observed and self-reported measures to map prevalence and characteristics of aggressive behavior in forensic inpatients and aimed to identify early signs of aggressive outbursts. In this longitudinal study, 120 forensic psychiatric inpatients with a history of aggression were included. Staff monitored aggressive behavior for 30 weeks using the Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS). Patients completed baseline self-report measures on aggression, anger, and impulsivity. Staff monitoring showed that most inpatients displayed moderate (86%) or severe (65%) aggressive behavior at least once, and 37.5% showed physical aggression. Inpatients with a least one physical aggression incident differed from others in self-reported anger, (reactive) aggression, non-planning impulsivity, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics (e.g., higher prevalence of cluster B personality disorders, and lower intelligence). Two-thirds of the physical aggression incidents were preceded by observations of increased non-physical aggression (SDAS). In forensic psychiatric inpatients with a history of aggression, more than a third of the patients demonstrated at least one occasion of physical aggression during 30 weeks of observation.
Description
Funding Information: The study was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, as part of the research program: violence against psychiatric patients; NWO grant nr 432-13-802.
Date
2021
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Publisher
Research Projects
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Keywords
Anger, Forensic psychiatry, Impulsivity, Inpatient aggression, Reactive aggression, SCALE, VERSION, VIOLENCE, SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Citation
Klein Tuente, S, Bogaerts, S & Veling, W 2021, 'Mapping aggressive behavior of forensic psychiatric inpatients with self-report and structured staff-monitoring', Psychiatry Research, vol. 301, 113983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113983