[Forensic-Psychiatric Consultations in General Psychiatry - Supporting Treatment of Patients Prone to Commit...

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Context:

• A subset of psychiatric patients exhibit increased risk for interpersonal violence.
• General psychiatric care often precedes forensic commitment for offenses.
• Violence prevention models in general psychiatry are underdeveloped.

Purpose:

• Describe the diagnostic and advisory services of a forensic psychiatric consultation liaison service in Zurich.
• Characterize the patient population referred to this service.
• Compare common diagnostic groups (schizophrenia, affective, personality disorders) regarding violence history, substance abuse, and consultation reasons.

Summary:

• 188 patients in general psychiatric clinics were evaluated between 2013-2021.
• High prevalence of violence history (72.7%) and substance use (66.1%) was observed.
• Schizophrenia spectrum disorders were diagnosed in 48.4% of patients.

Impact:

• Provides insights into the utility of consultation-liaison services for identifying at-risk individuals.
• Informs the development of targeted violence prevention strategies in general psychiatric settings.
• Highlights the significant overlap between psychiatric disorders, substance use, and violent behavior.