Male-female differences in the setting and construction of violence among people with severe mental illness

• Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Vol. 33 Suppl 1; pp. S68 - S74
• Main Authors: Hiday, V A, Swartz, M S, Swanson, J W, Borum, R, Wagner, H R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01.12.1998
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Commitment of Mentally Ill; Comorbidity; Domestic violence; Emergency medical care; Female; Females; Gender; Humans; Injuries; Male; Males; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - psychology; Middle Aged; Murders & murder attempts; Patients; Sex Factors; Social Environment; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; United States - epidemiology; Violence - psychology; Violence - statistics & numerical data; United States; North Carolina; United States > US
• ISSN: 0933-7954; 1433-9285
• DOI: 10.1007/s001270050212

Data from a sample of severely and persistently mentally ill involuntary patients indicated that differences in violence between males and females in the 4 months prior to hospital admission depended on the measure. In the bivariate analysis, males had a greater prevalence of violence on the two indicators which separated more serious violence from lesser and no violence; but there was no gender difference on the more inclusive measure which incorporated threats and fights not involving weapons or injuries. In multivariate analysis when other relevant predictors were controlled, gender was significant in predicting only the most inclusive indicator of violence and only in interaction with substance abuse problems.