Aggressive and impulsive behavior in military psychiatric inpatients

Abstract

Objective: To determine if a history of aggressive/impulsive behavior adversely affected the return to full duty of a military psychiatric inpatient population. Method: Charts were reviewed for aggressive/impulsive behavior as indicated by self-report on a standardized admission form and by history in 211 consecutive admissions pooled from two separate 2-month intervals during a 9-month period, Results: Seventy-three percent of the population was between the ages of 17 and 24 years. Sixty- eight percent of the population reported a history of at least one school suspension/expulsion, arrest, or military nonjudicial punishment (males, 74%; females, 45%). Seven percent of patients reporting aggressive/impulsive behavior were returned to full duty unconditionally, compared with 28% of patients not reporting said behavior. Eighteen percent of patients met the criteria for adult antisocial behavior. Only one patient with adult antisocial behavior was returned to full duty. Conclusions: This study found that a history of aggressive/impulsive behavior was positively correlated with substance abuse and negatively correlated with return to full military duty.