[Psychiatric security units in Norway. Patients and activity]

The authors briefly discuss past and present reasons for the psychiatric security unit system in Norway. They describe the patients in these units at the beginning of 1993 (N = 123). Of these patients, 16% were females, 78% had a main diagnosis of schizophrenia, and 12% were admitted because of personality disorders. Physical restraints had been used for 25%, pharmacological restraints for 17%, and forced pharmacological treatment had been necessary for 26% of the patients during the last six months. There were high rates of behaviour problems related to criminality, abuse, violence and auto-aggression. Nearly all the patients were committed involuntarily, and additional legal restrictions were imposed for one third of them. The majority (63%) of the patients had been in security units for more than one year. The highest levels of security within the security unit system were used for those with the most serious criminality or behaviour problems prior to admission.