Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with violence attempts with psychotic disorders
Sevda Korkmaz 1 * , Levent Turhan 2, Sadullah Sağlam 2, Murad Atmaca 3
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1 Department of Psychiatry, Fırat University Medicine Faculty, Elazıg, Turkey2 Department of Psychiatry, Elazığ Mental Health and Mental Disorders Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey3 Department of Neurology, Elazığ Mental Health and Mental Disorders Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Introduction:
The objective of the study is to compare the socio-demographical characteristics of patients with psychotic disorders that engage or dont engage in violent behavior against individuals, and to conduct a research on the degree of affinity of the victims of violence with the patient and on factors that could affect violence.

Material and Methods:
All patients (151 patients) that were treated during the last year, diagnosed with psychotic disorder. The patients were compared in two groups; these who engaged in violent acts and these who did not. Furthermore, patients in the violent group were separated into two groups; one consisting of the patients who engaged in violent behavior against immediate family members, hence the immediate violence group, and the patients who didn’t engage in violence against immediate family members, hence the distant violence group.

Results:
It was determined that 56% of the patients with psychotic disorder have attempted violence, out of which 75% were engaged in violent behavior against their immediate relatives. It was determined that patients who attempted violence were primarily those diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and chronic schizophrenia. It was observed that patients that did not receive regular psychiatric therapy attempted in violence more than others.

Conclusions:
Patients with active psychotic symptoms should be treated in early stages and precautions should be taken against to decrease attempts at violence.

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Original Article

EUR J GEN MED, Volume 14, Issue 4, October 2017, 94-98

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/81738

Publication date: 12 Dec 2017

Article Views: 1309

Article Downloads: 1087

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