Assault increases the cost of care among inpatients veterans with schizophrenia

Article Abstract:

During the two weeks prior to hospital admission, between 10 and 20 percent of psychiatric patients have committed violent acts or assaults; schizophrenics may be disproportionately represented in these statistics. Among schizophrenics, violent behavior has been associated with poor outcome and may, as hypothesized in the present study, be associated with greater use of medical facilities and higher costs. Records of 424 schizophrenic patients who had been discharged from the psychiatric ward of a Veteran's hospital were reviewed for information regarding demographics, hospital utilization, and cost of their medical care. Assaultive patients in this sample (representing 15 percent of the total) had 51 percent more inpatient hospital days per quarter than nonviolent patients. There were no differences between the groups in utilization of outpatient services or inpatient medical treatment. On average, the care of assaultive patients cost 43 percent more than the care of nonviolent patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Economic aspects, Complications and side effects, Development and progression, Medical care, Cost of, Health care costs, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenics, Assault and battery

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Dimensions of war zone stress. An empirical analysis

Article Abstract:

One hundred forty two Vietnam veterans responded to two questionnaires widely used to measure combat stress. Four factors were found to contribute specifically to combat stress. Exposure to abusive violence correlated with post-service adjustment problems and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, a delayed malaise afflicting mainly combat veterans). It was concluded that measures of war stress that focus solely on exposure to life-threatening combat situations are inadequate for characterizing certain specific features of soldiers' Vietnam experiences which are related to subsequent psychiatric illness.

Causes of, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Vietnam veterans, War neuroses

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