Prevention and Management of Violence in Schizophrenia

Dear Colleagues,

Schizophrenia, a disabling psychiatric disorder, is characterized by disturbance of effect of emotion, reasoning, perception, and behavior. The onset and course of schizophrenia is multifactorial, including multiple susceptibility genes, which are modifiable by lifestyle, social and spiritual factors, etc. Schizophrenia is also associated with an increased risk for violence. Although the majority of schizophrenia patients are not violent, studies have shown a relationship between patients with schizophrenia and aggressive behavior, and a higher conviction rate for violent offences. The severity of violence is very different among patients with schizophrenia. Evidence has shown that the most frequent reason for hospitalization in patients with schizophrenia is violence, which not only delays hospital discharge but also increases a substantial burden on patients’ families and healthcare providers.

Violence has become a great concern in the practice of psychiatry. The pathogenesis of aggressive and violent behavior in schizophrenia is heterogeneous and complex. Since violence is repetitive in nature and inflicts emotional distress on others, it is a challenge for clinicians and healthcare providers to prevent or manage persistent aggressive and violent behaviors and provide optimal treatment for people with schizophrenia. Hence, an insightful and thorough investigation and a better understanding of violence and the interplay of factors would help to facilitate the provision of more appropriate, sensitive violence risk assessments.

For this Special Issue in Psychiatry International, inclusion of research areas and topics in relation to violence in schizophrenia and psychiatric care are important to further explore approaches to explaining violence, protective factors, effective interventions, and early risk factors for violence.

Dr. Mei chi Hsu
Guest Editor

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• prevention
• management
• violence
• schizophrenia