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Inpatient aggression in community hospitals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2015

Katalin A. Szabo ,
Christopher L. White ,
Stephen E. Cummings ,
Raziya S. Wang  and
Cameron D. Quanbeck
Katalin A. Szabo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, San Mateo Health System, San Mateo, California, USA Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, San Mateo, California, USA
Christopher L. White
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, San Mateo Health System, San Mateo, California, USA Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, San Mateo, California, USA
Stephen E. Cummings
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, San Mateo Medical Center, San Mateo, California, USA
Raziya S. Wang
Affiliation:
Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, San Mateo, California, USA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
Cameron D. Quanbeck*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, San Mateo Health System, San Mateo, California, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: Cameron Quanbeck, MD, Medical Director, Cordilleras Mental Health Center, San Mateo Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 200 Edmonds Road, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Physical violence is a frequent occurrence in acute community psychiatry units worldwide. Violent acts by patients cause many direct injuries and significantly degrade quality of care. The most accurate tools for predicting near-term violence on acute units rely on current clinical features rather than demographic risk factors. The efficacy of risk assessment strategies to lower incidence of violence on acute units is unknown. A range of behavioral and psychopharmacologic treatments have been shown to reduce violence among psychiatric inpatients.

Keywords

Acuteaggressionagitationcommunity hospitalcommunity psychiatryinpatientinterventionsrisk factorsviolence
Type
Review Articles
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 20 , Special Issue 3: Violence in the Psychiatric Setting , June 2015 , pp. 223 - 230
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

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