Characteristics of Assaultive Patients Whom Inpatient Psychiatric Staff Report to Law Enforcement

What is it about?

We examined a group of patients who were assaultive towards staff while admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. We then examined which of these instances resulted in staff pursuing criminal charges, with the goal of identifying the factors that may influence staffs' decision to involve the criminal justice system. In this sample, we found that patients who were younger, had a criminal history, and a chronic mental illness with psychosis were more likely to have charges pursued against them.

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