VIOLENCE BY PATIENTS ADMITTED TO A PRIVATE PSYCHIATRIC-HOSPITAL

Objective: The authors determined the rates and patterns of violence t oward persons by psychiatric patients before admission to the inpatien t service of the Payne Whitney Clinic and determined which factors wer e associated with a greater risk of violence. Method: During hospitali zation, 763 patients were interviewed by a research assistant using a structured interview instrument. The interviewer inquired about demogr aphic and socioeconomic information and about history of violence and alcohol and drug use. Results: Having physically attacked another pers on in the month before admission was equally likely among male (13.6%) and female (14.7%) patients. The patterns of violence were similar fo r men and women in terms of target, severity of injuries, use of a wea pon, and place of occurrence. Univariate analyses showed that only you th was associated with violence for male patients, while youth, low so cioeconomic status, substance abuse, and axis II pathology were associ ated with a greater risk of violence for female patients. Logistic reg ression analyses showed that recent cocaine use was significantly asso ciated with violence by female patients when age, socioeconomic status , and axis II pathology were controled for. For male patients, recent heroin use was related to a greater risk of violence. Conclusions: The frequency of violence by female patients was 150% higher than it was in a study at the Payne Whitney Clinic a decade ago. The frequency of violence by male patients was 50% higher than it was a decade ago. In the current study, substance abuse was associated with greater risk of violence by patients.