Summary
A great number of studies have confirmed the increased risk of violence by patients with mental disorders. Aggression, as well as auto-aggression, is part of the symptoms of various mental disorders. Therefore risk assessment and risk management concerning aggression and violence should become a routine of the clinical psychiatrist just as it is regarding suicidality. Any experienced forensic psychiatrist may point to some of his patients, which are institutionalized, because clinicians have ignored their risk for violence. Forensic psychiatry is intensively concerned about the risks for aggressive behaviour and its prevention, and has invested much research activity into this topic. Forensic psychiatry is, however, only asked if dramatic events have occurred. Often less risky abnormalities preceding these events are overlooked. This observation should lead to consequences for risk management in general psychiatry:
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1.
Clinicians should be informed and aware of general risk factors and those specific for the individual patient.
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2.
They need to know and observe the static and dynamic risk factors of violent behaviour.
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Primary prevention is the essential feature of risk management, which means that attention has to be paid to the precursors and to adequate intervention before risks escalates. It has been shown that careful and systematic observation can decrease the number of incidents on wards of forensic psychiatric hospitals.
Structured procedures, for which risk assessment instruments play a special role, have been shown to improve the safety for patients and their environment. In my view, however, a structure and culture, in which the risk assessment and risk management for aggression and violence are as important as for self-mutilation and suicidality, seem even more important than formalistic measures and instruments.
Zusammenfassung
Eine Vielzahl von Untersuchungen hat das erhöhte Gewaltrisiko von Patienten mit psychischen Störungen bestätigt. Aggression, ebenso wie Autoaggression, gehört zur Symptomatik verschiedener psychischer Störungen. Insofern sollten Risikoerfassung und -management nicht nur bezüglich Suizidalität, sondern auch bezüglich Fremdaggression zur Routine der klinischen Psychiater gehören. Jeder erfahrene forensische Psychiater kann einige seiner Patienten benennen, die deswegen in Maßnahmeeinrichtungen untergebracht sind, weil Klinker deren Aggressionsrisiko übersehen haben.
Forensische Psychiatrie befasst sich intensiv mit den Risiken für aggressives Verhalten und mit dessen Verhinderung. Die forensische Psychiatrie wird allerdings erst gefragt, wenn dramatische Ereignisse vorgefallen sind. Es wird dabei häufig übersehen, dass diesen Ereignissen oft geringere risikoträchtige Auffälligkeiten vorausgehen. Daraus ergeben sich Konsequenzen für das Risikomanagement in der psychiatrischen Praxis:
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1.
Die allgemeinen und die individuellen patientenspezifischen Risikofaktoren müssen den Klinikern bekannt sein.
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2.
Sie müssen die statischen und die dynamischen Risikofaktoren kennen und beachten.
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3.
Wesentlich ist die primäre Prävention, bei der darauf geachtet wird, dass im Vorfeld von Zwischenfällen interveniert wird. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass durch sorgfältige Beobachtung allein eine Abnahme von Zwischenfällen erreicht werden kann.
Risikoerfassung ist heute mit strukturierten Vorgaben, bei denen Instrumente zur Risikoeinschätzung eine besondere Rolle spielen, möglich und sinnvoll. Wichtiger als formalistische Struktur und Instrumente erscheint mir aber die Entwicklung einer Struktur und Kultur, in welcher die Risikoerfassung und das Risikomanagement für Fremdgefährdung ebenso entwickelt sind wie für Selbstgefährdung.
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Eingelangt am: 27. Juli 2011, angenommen am 2. August 2011
Risk assessment and risk management of psychiatric patients
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Nedopil, N. Risikoeinschätzung und Risikomanagement bei psychiatrischen Patienten. psychiatr. psychother. 7, 90–97 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11326-011-0164-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11326-011-0164-7