Recognition of violence and being affected by violence in psychiatric outpatients

Objective: Violence continues to be an important public problem and has negative effects on mental health. In this study, it was aimed to determine the recognition of violence by psychiatric outpatients, the prevalence of violence against psychiatric outpatients and how they are affected by violence. Method: The study included 199 patients who admitted to the general psychiatry outpatient clinic and accepted to participate in the study. The sociodemographic features and detailed assessments of patients on violence were examined with the questionnaire prepared by reviewing the literature on violence. Results: 78.9% of females and 75.5% of males participated in the study recognized violence physically. Both female and male patients mentioned that "disobedience / irritating behavior" was the most common cause of violence and, “education†was the most obvious factor that can prevent violence. It was found that 56% of the patients (56.8% of females and 55.9% of males) were subjected to violence and, females were subjected to sexual violence more frequently than males. There was no significant difference between patients subjected to violence and those who were not in terms of gender, educational status, occupation, and psychiatric diagnosis. The social functionality, personal and social performances of the patients who were subjected to violence were lower than those who were not subjected to violence. Discussion: Violence is a common problem among psychiatric outpatients. Because violence is associated with psychiatric disorders and disrupts functionality, clinicians should routinely screen violence during psychiatric evaluation. © 2020 ANP Publishing. All rights reserved.