Predicting inpatient aggression by self-reported impulsivity in forensic psychiatric patients

Background Empirical knowledge of ‘predictors' of physical inpatient aggression may provide staff with tools to prevent aggression or minimise its consequences. Aim To test the value of a self‐reported measure of impulsivity for predicting inpatient aggression. Methods Self‐report measures of d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Criminal behaviour and mental health Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 161 - 173
Main Authors:	Bousardt, Annelea M. C., Hoogendoorn, Adriaan W., Noorthoorn, Eric O., Hummelen, Jacobus W., Nijman, Henk L. I.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-07-2016 Whurr Publishers Ltd
Subjects:	Adult Aggression - physiology Aggression - psychology Aggressiveness Coping Dysfunction Female Forensic Psychiatry Hospitalization Hospitals, Psychiatric Humans Impulsive Behavior Impulsivity Inpatients - psychology Male Mental disorders Middle Aged Perseveration Personality Disorders Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data Personality Tests Predictive Value of Tests Premeditation Psychiatric hospitals Psychiatric nurses Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Rejection Risk Assessment Self Report Sensation seeking Severity of Illness Index Urgency Violence
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Summary:	Background Empirical knowledge of ‘predictors' of physical inpatient aggression may provide staff with tools to prevent aggression or minimise its consequences. Aim To test the value of a self‐reported measure of impulsivity for predicting inpatient aggression. Methods Self‐report measures of different domains of impulsivity were obtained using the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation seeking, Positive urgency (UPPS‐P) impulsive behaviour scale with all 74 forensic psychiatric inpatients in one low‐security forensic hospital. Aggressive incidents were measured using the Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS). The relationship between UPPS‐P subscales and the number of weeks in which violent behaviour was observed was investigated by Poisson regression. Results The impulsivity domain labelled ‘negative urgency' (NU), in combination with having a personality disorder, predicted the number of weeks in which physical aggression was observed by psychiatric nurses. NU also predicted physical aggression within the first 12 weeks of admission. Conclusions and implications for practice The results indicate that NU, which represents a patient's inability to cope with rejection, disappointments or other undesired feelings, is associated with a higher likelihood of becoming violent while an inpatient. This specific coping deficit should perhaps be targeted more intensively in therapy. Self‐reported NU may also serve as a useful adjunct to other risk assessment tools and as an indicator of change in violence risk. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bibliography:	ark:/67375/WNG-N0X5N91R-F istex:B176C8E0EE211480C5F76840CA8ED6525FE1A73C ArticleID:CBM1955 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0957-9664 1471-2857
DOI:	10.1002/cbm.1955