Forensic psychiatric inpatients and aggression: An exploration of incidence, prevalence, severity, and interventions by gender
Section snippets
Participants
Between January 1st and December 31st 2004, a total of 548 patients were assessed and/or treated at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital (FPH) in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Due to incomplete files and missing data, a total of 527 patients were available for the present study. Socio-demographic, mental health, and criminological patient information is presented in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4. Patients were predominantly male (88%), most had prior mental health contacts (88%), and a
Psychosocial characteristics
The psychosocial characteristics of the participants are described in Table 1. The age range for female patients (18–55 years) was substantially tighter than for male patients (17–78 years) though there was no gender difference in the mean age at the time of the index offence (M = 34.32, SD = 9.76; M = 33.77; SD = 11.53, respectively; t[516] = − 0.37, p = .71). The women were more likely than the men to be from a minority group, however, a comparison did not reach significance (χ2[6, N = 506] = 11.22, p = .08, Phi
Comparing risks and needs between male and female forensic psychiatric patients
This study offers a rare glimpse into the characteristics of Canadian forensic psychiatric inpatients by providing a comprehensive snapshot of the entire population of patients at a secure hospital, with a focus on gender differences and similarities. A standardized means of evaluating inpatient aggression (OAS) was used for the population of patients in order to provide a reliable and valid measure of inpatient aggression. Our primary finding is that the prevalence and frequency of aggression
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by BC Mental Health and Addiction Services. The first author is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Scholar. We are indebted to our team of research assistants and the BC Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission.
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