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Weather and Aggressive Behavior among Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals—An Exploratory Study

Author

Listed:
  • Jakub Lickiewicz

    (Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Kraków, Poland)

  • Katarzyna Piotrowicz

    (Department of Climatology, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland)

  • Patricia Paulsen Hughes

    (Department of Kinesiology, Applied Health and Recreation, College of Education and Human Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA)

  • Marta Makara-Studzińska

    (Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Kraków, Poland)

Abstract

Background: The number of meteoropaths, or people negatively affected by weather conditions, is rising dramatically. Meteoropathy is developing rapidly due to ever poorer adaptations of people to changes in weather conditions. Strong weather stimuli may not only exacerbate symptoms in people with diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems but may also induce aggressive behavior. Researchers have shown that patients suffering from mental illnesses are most vulnerable to changes in the weather and postulate a connection between the seasons and aggressive behavior. Methods : The goal of the study was to analyze the relationship between coercive measures and weather factors. The researchers identified what meteorological conditions prevailed on days with an increased number of incidents of aggressive behavior leading to the use of physical coercion towards patients in a psychiatric hospital in Poland. In order to determine the impact of weather conditions on the frequency at which physical coercion measures were used, the hospital’s “coercion sheets” from 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2017 were analyzed. The data were correlated with meteorological data. In order to determine the relationship between the occurrence of specific weather conditions and the number of coercive interventions ( N ), researchers utilized Spearman’s rank correlation analysis together with two-dimensional scatter diagrams (dependency models), multiple regression, stepwise regression, frequencies, and conditional probability (%). Results : Lower barometric pressure and foehn wind increased aggressive behavior in patients that led to coercive measures. For temperature (positive correlation) and humidity (negative correlation), there was a poor but statistically significant correlation. Conclusions : Monitoring weather conditions might be useful in predicting and preventing aggression by patients who are susceptible to weather changes

Suggested Citation

  • Jakub Lickiewicz & Katarzyna Piotrowicz & Patricia Paulsen Hughes & Marta Makara-Studzińska, 2020. "Weather and Aggressive Behavior among Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals—An Exploratory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:9121-:d:457850
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mullins, Jamie T. & White, Corey, 2019. "Temperature and mental health: Evidence from the spectrum of mental health outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Shuyu Zhang & Zhengzhong Kuang & Xiakun Zhang, 2015. "Effects of Simulated Heat Waves with Strong Sudden Cooling Weather on ApoE Knockout Mice," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, May.
    3. Marshall Burke & Felipe González & Patrick Baylis & Sam Heft-Neal & Ceren Baysan & Sanjay Basu & Solomon Hsiang, 2018. "Higher temperatures increase suicide rates in the United States and Mexico," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(8), pages 723-729, August.
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    1. Christian A. Mikutta & Charlotte Pervilhac & Hansjörg Znoj & Andrea Federspiel & Thomas J. Müller, 2022. "The Impact of Foehn Wind on Mental Distress among Patients in a Swiss Psychiatric Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-11, August.
    2. Paweł Kotecki & Barbara Więckowska & Barbara Stawińska-Witoszyńska, 2023. "The Impact of Meteorological Parameters and Seasonal Changes on Reporting Patients with Selected Cardiovascular Diseases to Hospital Emergency Departments: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-16, March.

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