Violent incidents in a psychiatric intensive care unit.

A prospective study was undertaken of physical assaults over six months in a newly opened psychiatric intensive care unit. There were 58 admissions of 48 patients, and 37 assaults, three against other patients, and 34 against nursing and medical staff. Features which correlated with committing assault were a criminal record and previous drug abuse. Assaults occurred most frequently during the week, at times when staff were actively involved with the patients.