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Reports of purported links between psychosis and violent behavior have been conflicting. These investigators studied violent behavior in 225 individuals with psychosis and 742 nonpsychotic individuals after release from initial imprisonment for violent or sexual crimes (mean age, 31; 19% women). There were 94 patients with schizophrenia, 29 with delusional disorder, and 102 with drug-induced psychosis.
Violence was assessed by police records and self-report (e.g., a physical fight or attacking someone). After a mean follow-up of 39 weeks, 23% of subjects participated in a violent incident after release. Postrelease violence was not associated with lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or drug-induced psychosis per se. How…