AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR IN A PSYCHIATRIC-HOSPITAL - A 6-YEAR STUDY OF 17943 ADMISSIONS BASED UPON THE PSYCHIATRIC BASIC DOCUMENTATION

Based upon the psychiatric basic documentation, the incidence of aggre ssive behaviour before admission and during hospitalisation in a psych iatric hospital was investigated for a six-year period from 1989 throu gh 1994. Aggressive behaviour was found in 8.3 % of the patients befor e admission and in 2.7 % during hospitalisation. Injuries to other per sons were relatively more frequent in patients with social disorders, mental retardation, dementia and schizophrenic psychoses. The relative risk was increased especially in patients who had injured other perso ns prior to admission. Considering only the included variables, predic tion of aggressive behaviour is not possible with sufficient certainty .