Violence in a Finnish forensic psychiatric hospital

Abstract

A study of the number, perpetrator, time and target of violent behaviour was carried out in a Finnish state forensic psychiatric hospital, Vanha Vaasa Hospital?Gamla Vasa Sjukhus. Forensic psychiatric patients and patients difficult-to-treat are treated in the hospital. According to the results the number of violent incidents has been quite small in the hospital during the time of the study in relation to violence in similar units and hospitals. The patients treated on account of their dangerousness and difficult propensities were the most violent, not the patients who had been charged with their violent acts. Only a small number of the patients behaved violently in the hospital. The relative number of violent female patients was larger than that of the male patients. Trained nurses and the patients themselves were found to be more often the target of the violent behaviour of particularly violent patients, whereas less violent patients directed their aggressiveness against objects. Violent incidents were more frequent during nights and at the time of patients' activities, but especially during the change of working shifts. The fewest violent incidents occurred in autumn.