[Patients with psychotic disorders in forensic psychiatric hospitals: are there consequences for general psychiatry?]

We assessed data concerning demographic, criminological and psychiatric characteristics of all patients with disorders of the schizophrenic spectrum, who were detained in the forensic psychiatric departments of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, a federal state of Germany, in 2007. Of the 202 patients of both clinics, 45 suffer from a disorder of the schizophrenic spectrum assessed in ICD-10: F20-F29, which corresponds to 22%. This level is markedly lower than in other regions of Germany. But similarly to results assessed in other federal states of Germany and in Austria there is a high rate of pre-treatment in general psychiatric institutions. It remains a relevant task for general psychiatry to establish adequate interventions for hostile and violent psychotic patients, especially for those with a double diagnosis, history of delinquency and social decline.