The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Change Version (SADS-C), the Social Adjustment Scale-Patient Version II (SAS-PATII) and the Command Hallucination Questionnaire (CAQ) were administered to 86 psychotic inpatients to investigate the relationship between command hallucinations, aggressive behavior, and compliance. Two SADS-C items ("severity of hallucinations" and "depersonalization") were useful as indicators of command hallucinations. Ninety-two percent had complied with their command at least once in the past month. Three SADS-C variables related to compliance with command hallucinations were identified: middle insomnia, the belief that the voice was acting in your best interest, and overt irritability. The patients' level of distortion of reality did not appear to influence compliance rates. Results also indicated that patients who experience command hallucinations were not significantly more or less dangerous than other psychotic inpatients.

No description available.

The current study examined the association of hostile attributional bias (HAB) with the functions (proactive and reactive) and subtypes (reactive relational and reactive overt) of aggression as well as with perceived provocateur motivation (proactive or reactive) in a high school sample (mean age = 16.51; 50% male; 31% Caucasian). Revisions to a measure of HAB were made both in administration (adding animations/narration) and content (adding perceived provocateur motivation questions). Results indicated that the animation/narration measure showed comparable internal consistency reliability to the written and displayed an increased ability to predict total aggression. However, a unique relationship between HAB and reactive aggression was not found, nor was HAB for specific provocation scenarios (i.e., relational or overt) uniquely associated with the reactive subtypes of aggression. Proactive motives, when controlling for reactive ones, were correlated with HAB, anger to provocation, and aggression. The opposite was not found. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Persönlichkeit im Allgemeinen wird, neben Umwelteinflüssen, durch genetische Komponenten beeinflusst. Bisher konnten jedoch nur wenige funktionelle Genvarianten mit Verhaltenszügen assoziiert werden. Aggressives Verhalten als spezifisches Verhaltensmuster wird durch eine Reihe von Genvariationen beeinflusst, die in serotonerge, dopaminerge und nitrinerge Regelkreise eingreifen. Neben der genetischen Komponente prädisponieren aber hier ganz erheblich auch äußere Faktoren in der Umwelt, wie z.B. das soziale Umfeld, in dem Kinder und Jugendliche aufwachsen, für die Entwicklung von gewalttätigem Verhalten. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, einen möglichen Einfluss von vier verschiedenen funktionellen Gen-Polymorphismen (MAOA-uVNTR, DAT-uVNTR, NOS1 Ex1f-uVNTR und NOS1 Ex1c-SNP) auf Gewalttätigkeit bzw. Aggressivität zu untersuchen. Außerdem wurden Gen x Umweltinteraktionen im Bezug auf ungünstige soziale Bedingungen in der Kindheit untersucht. Eine aus 184 Männern bestehende Stichprobe von Straffälligen wurde in eine Gruppe von gewalttätigen und eine Gruppe von nicht-gewalttätigen Straftätern unterteilt. Durch die logistische Regressionsanalyse konnte ermittelt werden, dass der MAO-A Genotyp, wie auch ungünstige soziale Bedingungen in der Kindheit, unabhängig voneinander für gewalttätiges Verhalten prädispositionieren. 45% der Gewalttätigen, aber nur 30% der nicht-gewalttätigen Studienteilnehmer sind Träger des niedrig-aktiven kurzen MAO-A Allels. Die neuronale Isoform der Stickstoffmonoxid-Synthase (NOS-I) wurde, ebenso wie MAO-A, in Tierversuchen mit aggressiven Verhaltensweisen assoziiert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass es auch einen Zusammenhang zwischen einem funktionellen Promotorpolymorphismus von NOS1 und menschlicher Aggressivität gibt. Im Gegensatz zu MAOA und NOS1 beeinflusst ein funktioneller Polymorphismus im DAT1-Gen Gewalttätigkeit nicht. Diese Ergebnisse legen komplexe Interaktionen zwischen genetischer Variation und Umweltfaktoren nahe und zeigen gleichzeitig, dass aggressives Verhalten nicht durch einfache Vererbungsmodi zu erklären ist. / Almost all domains of human behaviour show significant albeit varying genetic contribution. Molecular personality genetics explore how given candidate genes might influence behavioural traits. Only a few genetic variants have been associated with aggressive behaviour so far. Aggressive behaviour is thought to be critically modulated by serotonergic, nitrinergic and domapinergic function. Besides genetic aspects also early life experience contributes to behavioural traits. The present study aimed to investigate the contribution of four functional polymorphisms involved in serotonergic neurotransmission (MAOA-uVNTR, DAT-uVNTR, NOS1 Ex1f-uVNTR and NOS1 Ex1c-SNP) to the development of violence and to test for gene x environment interactions relating to adverse childhood environment. A cohort of 184 adult male volunteers referred for forensic assessment participated in the study. Each individual was assigned either to a violent or non-violent group. Logistic regression was performed and the best fitting model, with a predictive power of 74%, revealed independent effects of adverse childhood environment and MAOA genotype. High environmental adversity during childhood was significantly associated with violent behavior. 45% of violent, but only 30% of non-violent individuals carried the low-activity, short MAOA allele. Also the functional polymorphism of the neuronal NO Synthase (NOS1 Ex1fc) was significantly associated with the development of aggressive behaviour, whereas the dopamine transporter gene polymorphism (DAT-uVNTR) does not seem to contribute to aggressive behaviour. These findings indicate complex interactions between genetic variation of the serotonergic circuitry and environmental factors arguing against simplistic, mono-causal explanations of violent behavior.

Mental illness is currently diagnosed using subjective observational criteria as outlined in the 5th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V), yet many have argued for the medicalization of the diagnosis of mental illness by incorporating biomedical and neuroanatomical criteria. The following literature review explores the neural circuit responsible for regulating emotion, as well as the structural and chemical alterations to this circuit that have been shown to correlate with aggressive and/or violent behaviors characteristic of certain types of mental illness. The neural circuit regulating emotion is comprised of the prefrontal cortex, the subcortical limbic system, the dopaminergic pathway, the serotonergic pathway, catecholaminergic neurons, and GABAergic neurons. Alterations to these structures or chemicals have been associated with major depressive disorder, suicidal ideations, substance use disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. Medicalization of mental illness has the potential to serve two purposes – first, to standardize diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, and second, to decrease the stigma often associated with mental illness – and to improve outcomes for those patients living with mental illness.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to ascertain the knowledge and use of relational aggression in a college population, reasons for use if occurring, and perceptions on the effectiveness of relational aggression to attain one’s social goals. The methods used in the study were a self-administered survey questionnaire using a Likert scale to measure the results. This survey had an opening statement that gave a brief definition of relational aggression. The survey was administered at a Riverside County community college; the sample size was 42 students. Data analysis provided a percentage-based tabulation of those results. The key findings were that more than half the students surveyed claimed they had no prior knowledge of relational aggression, and the vast majority of the students surveyed also claimed that they did not use relational aggression. Of those surveyed that admitted to the use of relational aggression: more than a third indicated they had other reasons for using it that they did not elaborate on, and more than 14% of the participants indicated they believed relational aggression was an effective method to use to achieve their goals. Interestingly, far more than half the participants also indicated that they would not continue to use relational aggression, yet more than a third indicated they would continue to use relational aggression. Another key finding was that more than half the participants – above 60% – indicated they believe that other students were using relational aggression. The implications of the study are that relational aggression is used by students as a social tool of choice to achieve certain goals, and this is thoroughly in line with other research done on relational aggression in a college population. In addition, previous researchers determined that relational aggression in a college population was – at its simplest – a continuation of relational aggression behaviors carried on in high school. However, an additional unexpected implication growing out of the current study was that once the participants were made aware of what constituted relational aggression – through only the simple administration of a survey containing a brief definition – a significant amount of the participants claimed they would not use relational aggression in the future. Though additional research is certainly desirable – especially in the area of relational aggression use amongst college students – this researcher believes that the current study clearly indicates that relational aggression is being used in the college population and that simple psycho/social education intervention efforts could be effective in promoting a more prosocial stance towards the understanding and use of relational aggression as a social tool of choice amongst college students.

Anger is an emotion sorely in need of an improved public profile. Its association with overt violent aggression has masked its original purpose, namely, to be a useful and motivating force to engineer our survival. An emotion designed to serve us well in the face of injustice and threat has become the means by which injustice is perpetuated by the strong and powerful, against the weak and vulnerable. The expression of anger is often misguided, dysfunctional and misplaced with terrible consequences for society, including road rage. Yet there is increasing evidence that the suppression of anger is associated with negative health-related conditions including heart disease, cancer, mental illness, substance abuse and eating disorders. Evidence suggests that anger has a three-stage structure of socialised reactivity, biological anger generation and environmentally acquired action and expression. As a result of this six-year research study, ten key principles of anger expression have emerged, suggesting that anger can be learned in both informal and formal institutional education by both children and adults. These principles were incorporated into a pilot program aimed to educate rather than eliminate anger expression, in a health promotion program involving 25 self-selected Canberra women. This program formed part of a wider study of acquired anger management experiences through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Results from the study are presented as a core of learned and learnable knowledge about anger, as modules of information. These modules can be adapted and modified for any learning forum, including schools, adult education, career-related education and inservice training. Suggestions for the packaging of these component parts are provided, together with guidelines for reaching target groups. This thesis contends that each individual has the right to know and utilise this information and can use anger to achieve beneficial outcomes for themselves. If anger expression is inappropriate and dysfunctional, so will be its effects. If anger expression is appropriate and functional, then it can have a positive and beneficial outcome.

<p>I Sverige är det omkring 200 000 personer som fått diagnosen demens. Läkemedelskostnaderna för behandling av demenssymtomen anses uppgå till 160 miljoner kronor/år i Sverige. Att använda sig utav icke-farmakologiska omvårdnadsåtgärder kan ses som ett alternativ, både ur etisk synpunkt såväl som ekonomisk. Det är därför viktigt att sjuksköterskan känner till vilka omvårdnadsåtgärder som finns tillgängliga. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa sjuksköterskans icke-farmakologiska omvårdnadsåtgärder i omvårdnaden av oroliga, agiterade och aggressiva personer med demens. Studien genomfördes som en litteraturstudie där 14 vetenskapliga artiklar och två avhandlingar granskades och analyserades. I resultatet skapades fyra kategorier, aktivitet relaterat till social samvaro, musik, kommunikation och dans. Resultatet visade att för att lindra lidande hos personer med demenssymtom, är insikten om livshistorian och intressen grundläggande för det goda vårdandet. Detta kan ske genom att föreslå en meningsfull aktivitet. Exempel på sådan aktivitet kan vara dans, musik, små gruppträffar eller handarbete. Det framgår att det existerar alternativa icke-farmakologiska omvårdnadsåtgärder som kan lindra oro, agitation och aggression hos personer med demens. Dessa anses inte vila på lika hög vetenskaplig grund som farmakologisk behandling då kunskapen inom det området inte är lika evidensbaserad. Ytterligare forskning inom området är därför önskvärt i form av kliniska framtida pilotprojekt för att bevisa dess effektivitet</p> / <p>The number of people with dementia in Sweden is around 200 000. The costs of medication for those people are 160 million Swedish crones/year. Using non-pharmacological nursing measures can be seen as an alternative, at an ethical point of view as well as an economic. It’s therefore very important that the nurse knows about the different treatments and is capable to delegate this further. The aim of this study was to illuminate the nurse non-pharmacological nursing measures in purpose to reduce the anxiety, agitation and aggression in people with dementia. This study was a literature study where 14 articles and two dissertations were used to form the result. In the result 4 categories were created, activity related to socializing, music, communication and dance. The result shows that to relief suffering in persons with dementia it's important to know the individual and this person’s life-history, for the purpose to relief anxiety but also to divert aggressive behaviors in different situations. To know the persons interests and life-history is important to be able to give the person a meaningful activity. An example of this can be dance, music, small group meetings and handcraft. There exist non-pharmacological approach to reduce anxiety, agitation and aggression in persons with dementia. Those strategies are not as scientific as the pharmacological nursing measures because is not that evidence-based. More research in this area is therefore requested such as a clinical pilot study to prove its effectiveness.</p>

Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Adolescents intentions to behave in both reactive and instrumental aggression were assessed using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB; I. Ajzen, 1985). Along with examining the TPB, perceptions of self-efficacy (A. Bandura, 1982) towards both types of aggression were also assessed. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 162 grade 10 to 12 students in two independent school districts. Using Path Analysis, the TPB was shown to significantly explain both instrumental and reactive aggression. In the context of reactive aggression, attitudes were found to have the greatest influence on intentions to behave aggressively. As for instrumental aggression, self-efficacy was found to have the greatest influence on intentions. Overall, the results of this study provide support for using the TPB to explain adolescent aggression. In addition, this study further demonstrates the value of distinguishing between reactive and instrumental functions of aggression.