Risk factors for violence among long-stay psychiatric patients: national study

This study identified risk factors for violence among long-stay (1 year or more) psychiatric patients in Israel (n = 2946) using data from a national reevaluation of such patients. Patients were rated as being violent if hospital staff or patient charts indicated an incident of physical violence at least every few months. The relationship between violence and patients' functioning, living conditions, treatment, background and hospitalization history was studied. In total, 22.8% of patients were violent. Based on logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for being violent were younger age, younger age at first hospitalization, poorer self-care, having more frequent visitors, and the patient not having his or her own clothing. The data for age and lack of gender differences confirm previous findings. However, the results regarding clothing, visitors, poor self-care and age of onset are unique. The results of this study suggest that the violent behaviour of in-patients is related to both individual and environmental variables.