title: Risk factors for aggressive behavior among psychiatric inpatients.
abstract: The evaluation of a patient's potential for aggressive behavior is an important component of care on psychiatric units. In this study, the aggressive behavior of 111 new psychiatric inpatients in Taiwan was recorded by nursing staff using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) during the patients' hospitalization. Psychiatrists made diagnoses in accordance with DSM-IV criteria and collected information about psychosocial risk factors for aggression. On average, aggressive patients were hospitalized longer than nonaggressive patients. After duration of hospitalization was controlled for, it was found that patients with an earlier onset of illness were more likely to be aggressive than other patients.
authors.affiliation: Lotung Pohai Hospital and College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Lotung, Ilan 265, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jung-Chen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chau-Shoun
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013624:Taiwan; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology