Incidence and clinical correlates of aggression and violence at presentation in patients with first episode psychosis.

This study aimed to identify the incidence and clinical correlates of aggression and violence in first episode psychosis. We prospectively recruited subjects with a first episode of DSM-psychosis presenting from a geographically defined catchment area to a secondary referral psychiatric service over a four-year period (n = 157). We used the Modified Overt Aggression Scale to retrospectively assess aggression (a hostile or destructive mental attitude, including verbal aggression, physical aggression and/or violence) and violence (the exercise of physical force), blind to diagnosis. One in three patients with psychosis was aggressive at the time of presentation. One patient in 14 engaged in violence that caused, or was likely to cause, injury to other people. Aggression was independently associated with drug misuse (odds ratio (OR) 2.80, 95% confidence interval 1.12-6.99) and involuntary admission status (OR = 3.62, 95% CI 1.45-9.01). Violence in the week prior to presentation was associated with drug misuse (OR = 2.75, CI 1.04-7.24) and involuntary admission status (OR = 3.21, CI 1.21-8.50). Violence in the week following presentation was associated with poor insight (OR 2.97, CI 1.03-8.56) and pre-contact violence (OR 3,82, CI 1.34-10.88). In patients with schizophrenia, violence in the week following presentation was associated with drug misuse (OR = 7.81, CI 1.33-45.95) and high psychopathology scores (OR = 20.59, CI 1.66-254.96). Overall, despite a high rate of verbal aggression, physical violence towards other people is uncommon in individuals presenting with first episode psychosis.

Putting television's portrayal of schizophrenia into reverse: an evaluation of the impact on public opinion.

AIM: We examined whether it is possible to use a television programme to improve mental health literacy about schizophrenia by investigating the impact of the introduction of a realistic portrayal of schizophrenia into a popular television soap opera. METHOD: A population level omnibus survey method was used. A market research company conducted face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of the Irish population (n = 993). A specifically developed questionnaire was used which included a question on the extent to which the relevant television programme was watched. A grouping variable 'viewers/non-viewers' was then created. Groups were subsequently compared for differences in demographic characteristics, mental health literacy and attitudes towards schizophrenia. RESULTS: Of the sample, 370 were regarded as viewers. When compared, viewers and non-viewers did not differ on demographic characteristics but there were significant differences between the groups in both knowledge and attitudes regarding schizophrenia. Viewers were better informed on where to go for help and were more optimistic regarding the likelihood of recovery. However, on a question regarding willingness to have an intimate relationship with someone with a previous history of mental illness, viewers had greater concerns than non-viewers. CONCLUSION: It is possible to use television dramas to educate the public about mental illnesses. Piloting of the educational material may offer an opportunity to refine the storyline so that the relevant messages are clearly communicated.

Love, spirituality, and regret: thematic analysis of last statements from death row, Texas (2006-2011).

Individuals awaiting execution have high rates of mental illness and psychological problems. We examined themes and psychological factors in last statements before execution in Texas between December 2006 and July 2011 (n = 79) and compared them to our previous research on last statements between April 2002 and November 2006 (n = 100). We used the Thematic Guide for Suicide Prediction to examine the state of mind of the prisoners facing imminent death. The most common themes in last statements were love (82%), spirituality (52%), and regret (39%). The most common psychological factors were indirect expressions (43%), identification-egression (i.e., identification with a lost or rejecting person or with any lost ideal) (40%), rejection-aggression (38%), and unbearable psychological pain (37%). These features were constant over time. Evidence of deteriorating mental health, unbearable psychological pain, and increased suicide risk suggests an ethics-related medical duty for psychiatrists to object to the death sentence.

Is violence at presentation by patients with first-episode psychosis associated with duration of untreated psychosis?

INTRODUCTION: Violence in first episode psychosis poses significant challenges for mental health staff and patients' families. Violence has been shown to be related to psychopathology. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has been shown to influence psychopathology at presentation in first-episode psychosis, but little is known about the direct relationship between violence at presentation and DUP. We therefore sought to examine the relationship between these two variables. METHODS: Patients were all individuals aged between 16 and 65 years, with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of psychotic illness, taking part in a First Episode study. We used the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-I), Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Beiser Scale and the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) to evaluate diagnosis, psychopathology, DUP and violent behaviour respectively. Data for each case were retrospectively examined for violence, for the week prior to and week following first contact with psychiatric services, blind to diagnosis, DUP and psychopathology scores. RESULTS: We assessed 157 patients. About 46 patients (29%) were violent. Violence rates did not differ across diagnostic groups, while DUP varied significantly across diagnostic groups (P = 0.001). Violence was not associated with DUP across all psychoses (P = 0.41). In the schizophrenia subgroup (n = 94), thirty individuals (32%) were violent. In a logistic regression, logDUP was not associated with violence (P = 0.11). Violence was predicted by involuntary admission status (P = 0.04) and global positive symptoms (P = 0.03). DUP was associated weakly with negative symptoms (P = 0.01) but not associated with positive or general psychopathology. Neither pre nor post-contact violence was associated (P = 0.79 and P = 0.09 respectively) with DUP. DISCUSSION: Contrary to a recent study, we did not find an association between violence at presentation and DUP. The relationships between violence, DUP and psychopathology are complex and may be compounded by potential difficulties inherent in the PANSS. CONCLUSION: Programs to reduce DUP may not impact on rates of violence at presentation in First Episode Psychosis (FEP).