[Aggressive behavior of psychiatric patients among geriatric population]

Medical documentation of 674 elderly patients of gerontopsychiatric department was studied in order to estimate the frequency of physical aggression in relation to sex, diagnosis of dementia and other psychiatric disorders. This form of aggression was found significantly more often in men (52%) than in women (32%). The prevalence of aggression in men was even more evident in the dementia group (67% men and 39% women). Aggressive acts, with the use of objects as weapons, were aimed mainly against other patients when carried out by women, while male patients more often used the objects to attack the staff. None of the 118 aggressive women injured the attacked person, but 7% of the 160 aggressive men did. The aggression of sexual nature was observed in men (5%) only.