A STUDY OF AGGRESSION IN PSYCHOTIC ILLNESS

There are clearly documented evidence concerning violence by the mentally ill. The violence may be committed on the basis of delusional beliefs or exacerbation of symptomatology. Family members have been the object of violence in more than 50% of the cases. It is not surprising, therefore, that patients are brought restrained to the psychiatric treatment units. This study was thus conducted to find out whether the perceived aggression by the guardians was the same as the manifest aggression by the patient. 53 consecutive, drug free, psychotic patients attending the C.I.P. O.P.D. for the first time were rated on Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS- 9) to measure quantum of aggression and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to assess the psychopathology. The patients were diagnosed using the criteria laid down in ICD X. BPRS score was significantly higher in schizophrenics as compared to other diagnoses (one way ANOVA, p=0.005). Although there was no difference in the aggression scores in different diagnostic categories, manics were significantly more likely to be restrained (Χ(2) test, p=0.04).