title: DO PREVIOUS OFFENCES PREDICT VIOLENT ACTS IN PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS? A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN HUNGARY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of offences in the previous past history of perpetrators of violent acts who have undergone forced medical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The documentation of all patients released over a 10-year period from the National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry (IMEI) was reviewed. A comparison was drawn between patients who were convicted of any type of offense before the violent act (patients with previous offences-PPO) and those who were not (patients with no previous offences-PNO).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-six (29%) and 208 (71%) patients formed the PPO and PNO groups, respectively. Prior contact with psychiatric services was significantly higher in the PPO group (p=0.038) and this group was also more likely to offend under the influence of a psychoactive substance (p<0.001). Exceptional brutality and other qualifying factors were more frequent in the PNO group (p=0.019).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As IMEI is the only forensic institution in Hungary, the picture presented here reflects the situation in the entire country. A recidivism rate of 29% is within the internationally published range.
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baran
authors.forename: Ferenc Ádám
authors.initials: FÁ
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: Borbála
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Magdolna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Adél
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzonyi
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antal
authors.forename: Gábor S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvári
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gazdag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*