The authors compared the records of 59 psychiatric patients involutarily
committed to a Veterans Administration hospital on an emergency basis with
those of a control group of 59 psychiatric patients with respect to the
number of assaults noted during the first 45 days of hospitalization. The
committed group had a .41 probability and the control group a .08
probability of committing an assault. The difference between the two groups
was mainly accounted for by assaults that occurred during the first 10 days
of hospitalization. The occurrence of an actual act of battery before
admission did not predict assault in the hospital to a greater degree than
did a verbal threat. The authors conclude that short-term clinical
predictions of dangerousness predict assaultiveness in the hospital to a
significant degree.Abstract Teaser