Prevalence and Factors Associated with Aggressive Behavior among Patients with Schizophrenia at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia: a Cross-Sectional Study Design

Abstract

Introduction: Mental illness and aggression are often seen as inextricably linked. There is a growing body of evidence on aggressive behavior towards others by people with schizophrenia. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the prevalence of aggressive behavior and associated factors among people with schizophrenia. Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted during 6–31 May 2019 at the Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia. A total of 423 participants were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data were collected by interview technique by using the Modified Overt Aggression Scale, entered and analyzed by using EPI-INFO version 3.5.3 and Statistical Package for Social Science version 20, respectively. The association between variables was analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression and the level of significance of association was determined at P-value<0.05. Results: A total of 403 schizophrenia patients were included in the study, thereby making a response rate of 95.4%. The overall prevalence of aggression among schizophrenia patients in our study was found to be 26.6%. Being male [AOR=2.61, 95%CI (1.21, 5.61)], unemployed [AOR=8.03, 95%CI (3.08, 25.95)], previous history of aggression [AOR=6.22, 95%CI (2.75, 14.10)], psychotic symptoms [AOR=8.12, (3.11, 21.14)], drug non-adherence [AOR=6.41 95%CI (3.02, 13.63)], poor social support [AOR=3.11, 95%CI (1.35, 7.17)] and alcohol use [AOR=2.40, 95%CI (1.02, 5.66)] were significantly associated with aggressive behavior. Conclusion: The prevalence of aggressive behavior among schizophrenia patients was high (26.6). Professionals should have to identify reliable clinical and illness predictors for aggression in schizophrenia patients aimed at reducing aggressive behaviors and their adverse outcomes.

Keywords: aggressive behavior, Ethiopia, prevalence, schizophrenia, Sub Saharan 

Cite this Article

Tesfalem Araya, Emnet Ebnemelek, Rahel Getachew. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Aggressive Behavior among Patients with Schizophrenia at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study Design. Research and Reviews: Journal of Neuroscience. 2019; 9(3): 1–10p.