THE EFFECT OF STATE-TRAIT ANGER EXPRESSION ON VIOLENCE POTENTIAL INDEX IN CRIMINAL SUBJECTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Abstract Background Anger is defined as a psycho-biological emotional state that consists of feelings varying in intensity from mild irritation or annoyance to intense fury and rage. And, anger is a species-typical response to either: perceived threat, frustration or social provocation. The most important point about anger regulation by the individuals is how to express anger and control it. Dysfunction in anger regulation is a marker of most psychiatric disorders. Assessing risk of harm to self and others is a very important element in the evaluation and treatment of subjects with psychiatric disorder. The Violence Potential Index(VPI) have been found to be most associated with violence and dangerousness. Aims & Objectives The authors examined the effect of state-trait anger expression on violence potential index(VPI) in criminal subjects with schizophrenia. Methods The sample consisted of 177 criminal subjects with schizophrenia. First, We investigated whether there was a difference in state-trait anger expression between male and female group. After that, we investigated the effect of state-trait anger expression on VPI in the entire subjects with criminal schizophrenia, and the effect of state-trait anger expression on VPI was examined for male and female groups respectively. State-trait anger expression was assessed with Korean State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory(STAXI-K). Assessment of Violence Potential Index(VPI) was performed using the Personality Assessment Inventory(PAI). Results In comparison of male and female group, there were no differences in current age, age of onset, age at time of crime, or education level, and state anger was higher in the male group(t=2.620, p=0.011). However, there were no differences in trait anger, anger in, anger out, and anger control. The factor affecting VPI for the entire subject group was trait anger(B=0.164, ß=0.317, t=4.419, p=0.000). The factor affecting VPI in the male group was anger out(B=0.232, ß=0.294, t=3.688, P=0.000), and in the female group, trait anger was found to affect VPI(B=0.213, ß=0.469, t=2.856, p=0.008). Discussion & Conclusion It was shown that anger out in the male group and trait anger in the female group influenced VPI. It was suggested that there may be a difference in state-trait anger expression on VPI between male and female groups. In the future, a comparative study including non-criminal subjects with schizophrenia and the general population is needed to determine the impact of state-trait anger expression on crime in patients with schizophrenia.