Research about severely mentally ill adults indicates that presence of comorbid substance use disorders is associated with perpetration of violence. This study examines comorbidity and diagnostic, subject, and treatment system variables in relation to violence. Study aims are to assess influences of comorbidity on violence and to develop predictive models of perpetration and victimization. Comorbid and non-comorbid subjects were recruited from crisis residential programs in the county mental health and drug treatment systems and were followed for 18 months. Violence and victimization data were obtained by administering the MacArthur Community Violence Instrument (MCVI, Steadman & Monahan, 1998) at baseline and 5 times during follow-up. Our preliminary findings on 127 comorbid subjects reported to the Institute of Medicine (1999), indicated that having a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis was predictive of perpetrating violence. Data reported here are from the completed sample (n=477). Initial logistic regressions indicated that comorbidity was not predictive of involvement in violent incidents or of violence status (victim versus perpetrator) after the effects of lifetime PTSD diagnosis, homelessness, and treatment system were controlled. A lifetime PTSD diagnosis, being homeless, and having been recruited from the drug treatment system each significantly predicted involvement in violence (p< .05). A lifetime PTSD diagnosis predicted being a perpetrator (p< .03), however, homelessness and having a major mental illness predicted being a victim (p< .04). Future analyses will explore these findings; examine characteristics of the incidents of violence; and integrate MCVI longitudinal data in order to assess changes in violence status.
Learning Objectives: N/A.
Keywords: Mental Disorders, Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.