[Dealing with aggressive behaviour in acute psychiatric patients sent in by law]

Aggressive behaviour in psychiatric patients is one of the most challenging issues in clinical work. Self harming behaviour mostly derives from depressive and psychotic disorders as well as from intoxications. Aggressive behaviour against others is mostly linked to psychotic symptoms. Beside all therapeutic possibilities in Austria the so called "Unterbringungsgesetz", a special law defines the circumstances under which patients may be transferred to closed psychiatric wards. Despite the fact that a judge makes the main decisions there are plenty of possibilities for the treating psychiatrist to deal with this law actively. It is very important that these possibilities are regularly used because otherwise the proportion of patients who are judged because of criminal activities continues to grow further.