BACKGROUND: Recent studies of homicide during psychotic illness have shown that the risk of homicide is greatest during the first episode of psychosis. It is also possible that the proportion of patients who commit homicide before they receive effective treatment may be associated with the length of time they were unwell. We aimed to establish whether there was an association between the average duration of untreated psychosis and the proportion of homicides committed during the first episode of psychosis in the same countries. METHODS: Systematic searches of published studies of homicide in psychosis and the duration of untreated psychosis were conducted. The results were combined to examine the relationship between the reported delay in receiving treatment and the proportion of homicides committed before initial treatment. RESULTS: We found 16 studies that reported the proportion of psychotic patients who committed homicide prior to treatment. The proportion of first episode patients ranged from 13% to 76%. We were able to match 13 of those studies with DUP studies from the same country. Longer average DUP was associated with a higher proportion of patients who committed homicide prior to receiving treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility that the proportion of patients who commit homicide before receiving treatment may be related to the average treatment delay in the region that the homicide occurs needs to be examined using a case controlled design. If this finding were confirmed, then any measure that reduced the delay in treating emerging psychosis would save lives.
BACKGROUND: Recent studies of homicide during psychotic illness have shown that the risk of homicide is greatest during the first episode of psychosis. It is also possible that the proportion of patients who commit homicide before they receive effective treatment may be associated with the length of time they were unwell. We aimed to establish whether there was an association between the average duration of untreated psychosis and the proportion of homicides committed during the first episode of psychosis in the same countries. METHODS: Systematic searches of published studies of homicide in psychosis and the duration of untreated psychosis were conducted. The results were combined to examine the relationship between the reported delay in receiving treatment and the proportion of homicides committed before initial treatment. RESULTS: We found 16 studies that reported the proportion of psychoticpatients who committed homicide prior to treatment. The proportion of first episode patients ranged from 13% to 76%. We were able to match 13 of those studies with DUP studies from the same country. Longer average DUP was associated with a higher proportion of patients who committed homicide prior to receiving treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility that the proportion of patients who commit homicide before receiving treatment may be related to the average treatment delay in the region that the homicide occurs needs to be examined using a case controlled design. If this finding were confirmed, then any measure that reduced the delay in treating emerging psychosis would save lives.
Authors: Philip Burgess; Jane Pirkis; Damien Jolley; Harvey Whiteford; Shekhar Saxena Journal: Aust N Z J Psychiatry Date: 2004 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 5.744
Authors: Darryl Wade; Susy Harrigan; Meredith G Harris; Jane Edwards; Patrick D McGorry Journal: Aust N Z J Psychiatry Date: 2006-05 Impact factor: 5.744
Authors: Anthony Harris; John Brennan; Josephine Anderson; Anne Taylor; Mark Sanbrook; Dianne Fitzgerald; Sara Lucas; Antoinette Redoblado-Hodge; Lavier Gomes; Evian Gordon Journal: Aust N Z J Psychiatry Date: 2005 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 5.598
Authors: Matty A S de Wit; Wilco C Tuinebreijer; Giel H A van Brussel; Jean-Paul Selten Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2010-11-13 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Matthew M Large; Olav Nielssen; Christopher James Ryan; Robert Hayes Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2007-11-30 Impact factor: 4.328