title: Clinical characteristics of aggression in children and adolescents admitted to a tertiary care centre.
abstract: Identification and management of aggression is a major mental health priority in hospitalised patients. However, no such studies have been done in child and adolescent in-patients in India.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical and demographic features; characteristics of the aggression and methods employed to manage aggression in child and adolescent in-patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Child and adolescent in-patients between the ages of 4 and 16 years who were aggressive were included. The tools used were the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I) KID, Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and a Semi-structured interview regarding each aggressive episode.
  
  
  RESULTS
  31 patients displayed aggressive behaviour out of the 131 patients who were admitted during the study period. Aggressive acts were more common in males, those with academic difficulties, who had a past history of aggression, with suicidal ideation or suicidal attempts. Aggression occurred across diagnostic categories but a significant proportion was diagnosed to have Disruptive Behaviour Disorders either as a primary diagnosis or as comorbidity. 90.6% were on psychotropic medication prior to admission. Around 2/3rd of aggressive episodes occurred in the evening and family members (85.7%) were the most common targets of aggression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are a few factors that can possibly help identify and predict aggression in children and adolescents in a hospital setting. More research is required to understand aggression in clinical settings.
authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), India. Electronic address: preetijacob@gmail.com.
authors: Preeti
authors: P
authors: Jacob
authors: Shekhar
authors: S
authors: Seshadri
authors: Satish C
authors: SC
authors: Girimaji
authors: Shoba
authors: S
authors: Srinath
authors: John Vijay
authors: JV
authors: Sagar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: Adolescents; Aggression; Children; In-patients