THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCES ON HUMAN AGRESSION

Over the years the use of alcohol and its relation to the subsequent violent behavior that ensues has been very apparent. Alcohol and drug use can exacerbate the psychopathology in other psychiatric disorders and can cause violence in persons with no other psychiatric disorder. The objective of this study was to assess the association of violent behavior with alcohol and substance abuse in order to improve assessment, management and treatment of patients with violent behavior, accompanied with alcohol and substance abuse in the psychiatric ward. Two hundreed thirty six patients were included in the study. 159 (67%) were males and 77 (33%) females. The mean age of patients was 41.5 (±22.4) vjeç. 32 (20%) of males and 12 (16%) of female admitted to our service had reported alcohol consumption and substance abuse. As a result of the sub-sample analysis with a history of abuse (alcohol or substance) 29 (66%) [95%CI 50.2 ? 79.6] of 44 patients had episodes featuring violence p<0.01. The predominant types of violence is verbal (59%), with the following physical (27%) and destructive to only 14% of this sub-sample, p<0.01. Violent behavior and association with alcohol abuse or other substance is a common problem in emergency psychiatry. Assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment of this symbiosis is very difficult. Such an association affects the severity of symptoms of mental illness, progress and prognosis.