title: Forensic psychiatric inpatients and aggression: an exploration of incidence, prevalence, severity, and interventions by gender.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous investigations suggest that women judged to be not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCR-MD) differ markedly from their male counterparts in important ways, underscoring the necessity of subsequent study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of the present study was to inform our understanding of the presenting profile of female forensic psychiatric patients and contrast their risk of inpatient aggression with their male counterparts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The population of patients assessed and/or treated at a secure Canadian forensic psychiatric hospital were available for study. In total, 527 patients had complete data and were part of intensive retrospective file reviews; inpatient aggression was evaluated using the Overt Aggression Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women were no less likely than men to have a violent index offence and to perpetrate inpatient aggression. Examining the range of aggressive behaviours and severity levels did little to increase the relevance of gender to inpatient risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female forensic patients represent a highly selected subgroup of women with exceptional clinical and behavioural challenges and associated treatment needs.
authors.affiliation: BC Mental Health and Addiction Services, Canada. tnicholls@forensic.bc.ca
authors.forename: Tonia L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brink
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greaves
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lussier
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verdun-Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression; D001955:British Columbia; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*