Self-Harm and Aggression in Dangerous and Severely Personality Disordered Patients of a High-Security Hospital

Abstract

This study examined the frequency, prevalence and co-occurrence of aggression and self-harm in patients admitted for assessment and treatment to a high-security dangerous severe personality disorder (DSPD) hospital. Results showed that most patients admitted to this unit were aggressive and many patients self-harmed during the period of study. Few patients were neither aggressive nor self-harming. Patients who self-harmed and behaved aggressively were typically aggressive before their first episode of self-harm, and the likelihood of self-harm seemed to increase during the later stages of their hospital stay. Possible explanations for these findings are offered.

Key words:

• aggression
• hospital
• personality disorder
• self-harm

Acknowledgement

The assistance of Jacqueline Stacey, who collected and entered data for this study, is gratefully acknowledged.