While the frequency data gathered
are from an admittedly small sample,
our results are consistent with prior
research: Younger male patients
diagnosed with schizophrenia,
bipolar disorder, affective disorders,
psychosis, intellectual disabilities,
and those with comorbid substance
abuse or a history of violence, tend to
be at higher risk for violent behavior
during inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.
3,5 On the other hand,
some studies have reported that
female patients are just as violent
as male patients in the hospital
setting.6,7 Concurrent with previous
studies, we found that patient
episodes of severe agitation with
potential for violence took place
most often within the first week of
hospitalization.