Characteristics of assaultive psychiatric inpatients: updated review of findings, 1995-2000.

The present paper reviewed the studies of the characteristics of assaultive psychiatric inpatients from 1994 to the present. These studies partially confirmed earlier findings that assaultive patients are older persons with a diagnosis of active psychosis or other neurological abnormality and histories of violence toward others and substance-use disorder. However, the recent studies also document the profile of a second group of assaultive patients: younger females with personality disorders and histories of violence toward others, substance-use disorder, and personal victimization. Since there is a paucity of published empirical research on Alzheimer's and dementia patients for this topic, the implications from the present findings for long-term care and clinical intervention are examined.