title: Prevalence of violent victimisation in severe mental illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since de-institutionalisation, much has been written about the risk posed to the community by those with severe mental illness. However, violent victimisation of people with mental illnesses has received little attention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish the 1-year prevalence of violent victimisation in community-dwelling patients with psychosis and to identify the socio-demographic and clinical correlates of violent victimisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 691 subjects with established psychotic disorders were interviewed. The past-year prevalence of violent victimisation was estimated and compared with general population figures. Those who reported being violently victimised were compared with those who did not on a range of social and clinical characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen per cent of patients reported being violently victimised. Victims of violence were significantly more likely to report severe psychopathological symptoms, homelessness, substance misuse and previous violent behaviour and were more likely to have a comorbid personality disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Those with psychosis are at considerable risk of violent victimisation in the community. Victimisation experience should be recorded in the standard psychiatric interview.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Section of Forensic Mental Health, Denmark Hill, London, UK. sppmemw@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Kwame
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Creed
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tyrer
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fahy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*