Psychiatry Research EG

Background Schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk for violence in the community, which persists with increasing age, and is found in both the male and the female population. Objectives The present study aimed to assess the correlation between aggressive behavior and sociodemographic characteristics in a sample of patients with schizophrenia at a psychiatry outpatients` clinic and compare the results with those of normal controls. Patients and methods The Arabic version of the Modified Overt Aggressive Scale was used to assess aggression in 30 patients with schizophrenia who attended the psychiatric outpatient clinic in Suez Canal University Hospital and in 30 patients who served as a control group. Results All patients showed variable degrees of aggression, and there was a negative correlation between age and aggression. Women were more aggressive than men. Aggression is more common in unmarried patients and directly correlated to educational level and adherence to treatment. Conclusion All patients showed variable degrees of aggression. There were many factors related to this aggression, including the patient age, sex, marital status, educational level, and adherence to treatment. Keywords: aggression, schizophrenia, sociodemographic characteristics