Impulsivity and Inpatient Violence: An Examination of Aggressive Behaviors in an Inpatient Forensic Population

• In Event: Relationships between Correctional Staff and Inmates

Abstract

Research has indicated a significant amount of psychiatric inpatients behave violently during hospitalization. Nonviolent disruptive behaviors, including elopement and threats of violence, are also of concern, as such behaviors can result in injury, distress, and monetary losses. Existing literature has established impulsivity’s connection to violence and other disruptive behaviors, and several standardized impulsivity measures exist. The present study examines the relationship of initial clinician judgment of forensic psychiatric inpatients’ impulsivity and later disruptive behaviors during hospitalization, including physical and sexual aggression, self-harm, threats to others or self, and elopement activity; this judgement is made based on clinician rating of history at admission. Data were collected through a review of patient records at a Midwestern state psychiatric hospital (N = 186). This study hypothesized that patients identified as impulsive would be significantly more likely to exhibit disruptive behaviors, particularly physical aggression, later during their hospitalization. Impulsive patients (n = 44) had significantly more disruptive behaviors (M = 27.61, S = 34.86) than non-impulsive patients (M = 13.13, S = 35.65), F(1, 184) = 5.60, p = .019. Data comparing specific types of disruptive behaviors will be presented. Implications for risk assessment in forensic settings will be discussed.

Authors

• Jacqueline Genzman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Elizabeth C. Low, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Kyle Siddoway, University of Nebraska-Lincoln