Violent Behavior and Length of Psychiatric Hospitalization

The relationship between violent behavior and length of hospitalization was studied in a retrospective chart review of 253 patients admitted to a university-based acute inpatient unit. Violent behavior was defined as physical attacks on persons or fear-inducing behavior before admission or during initial hospitalization, and its value as a predictor of length of stay was assessed in multiple regression analyses that also included 20 demographic and clinical variables. Violence per se was not an important predictor of length of stay, but violence associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia was an important predictor. Schizophrenic patients who physically attacked others shortly after admission were more likely to have an extended stay than other patients. The study demonstrates the importance of considering clinically meaningful patterns, such as the interaction between diagnosis and violent behavior, when predicting length of stay.