Aggressive Behaviour in Severe Mental Illness

Description

Page: 388-391

Gopika G. G.¹, Sojan Antony², Jayakumar C.³, and Sydney Moirangthem⁴ (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka¹,², Department of Psycho-social Support in Disaster Management, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences
Bengaluru, Karnataka³, and Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka⁴)

Aggressive Behaviour (AB) is one of the apparent symptoms of Severe Mental Illness (SMI). The causes of AB in SMI vary from person to person. It can be due to psychopathology or the environmental or societal factors of the person. AB is seen as one of the major causes of hospitalisation and institutionalisation among persons with SMI. Several theories put forward various models for explaining the phenomena comprehensively; however, various reasons could be found. AB in SMI often impacts family caregivers, and they face various emotional problems due to the AB of persons with SMI. Understanding the reason would help in the appropriate intervention. AB can be managed using various treatment options, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. The need for giving proper de-escalation skills training is necessary to reduce the burden among caregivers.