Citation

Rogers P, Watt A, Gray NS, MacCulloch M, Gournay K. J. Forensic Psychiatry 2002; 13(2): 251-262.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/09585180210150096

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Evidence to date has supported negative relationships, a null relationship and a positive relationship between command hallucinations and violence or self-harm. This study was designed to determine the relationship between command hallucinations with violent or self-harm content and incidents of violence and self-harm in forensic inpatients. Patients with (n = 56) and without (n = 54) a lifetime history of command hallucinations and resident in a medium-security hospital were identified through clinical and legal records over 51 months. Measures included: staff-observed violence and self-harm; presence and content of command hallucinations; paranoid delusions; previous violent convictions; length of stay; gender; history of alcohol or illicit drug abuse. Statistical analyses used negative binomial regression. Violent command hallucinations and inpatient violence were unrelated. Self-harming command hallucinations and an absence of paranoid delusions were positively associated with self-harm. The processes that determine compliance with command hallucinations remain unclear.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; alcohol abuse; anamnesis; article; automutilation; binomial distribution; Command hallucinations; controlled study; delinquency; delusion; drug abuse; female; forensic psychiatry; gender; hallucination; hospital; hospital patient; human; legal aspect; length of stay; major clinical study; male; medical record; Medium security; paranoia; prediction; priority journal; regression analysis; risk assessment; Risk assessment; Self-harm; statistical analysis; suicide; Suicide; violence; Violence