Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adult lifetime prevalence of firesetting behaviors in a state hospital population

  • Articles
  • Published:
Psychiatric Quarterly Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hospital records of all patients under age 65 years old on the census of Worcester State Hospital (WSH) on October 25, 1988 (n=279) were reviewed for indications of firesetting behaviors during the individuals' adult lifetime. The prevalence of firesetting behaviors was found to be 27.2%. The prevalence of firesetting episodes, a subset of firesetting behaviors, was found to be 17.6%. A stepwise discriminant function analysis was used to determine whether any factors significantly differentiated the members of the firesetting behavior group from the remainder of the population. This analysis revealed that the number of WSH admissions, the number of admissions to other inpatient facilities, and a history of injurious behavior to self are significant positive predictors of membership in the firesetting behaviors group. The results of the WSH analysis are very similar to those found at Northampton State Hospital in 1983. These high prevalence rates have implication for treatment, education, record keeping, and liability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Frazer JG: Myths of the Origin of Fire. London, Macmillan and Co., limited, 1930.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Geller JL: Arson: From profit to pathology. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 15:623–645, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Anonymous. Sketches in Bedlam. London, Sherwood, Jones & Co., 1823.

  4. Russell WL: The New York Hospital. A History of the Psychiatric Service 1771–1936. New York, Columbia University Press, 1945.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Editor: Criminal lunacy in the state of New York. American Journal of Insanity 14:331–333, 1858.

  6. Tardiff K: A survey of fire types of dangerous behavior among chronic psychiatric patients. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 10:177–182, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Taylor PJ, Gunn J: Violence and psychosis. I-Risk of violence among psychotic men. British Medical Journal 288:1945–1949, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Prentky RA, Carter DL: The predictive value of the triad for sex offenders. Behavioral Sciences and the Law 2:341–354, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bigelow DA, Cutler DL, Moore LJ, et. al.: Characteristics of state hospital patients who are hard to place. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 39:181–185, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Albrecht H: Arson and psychiatry: The candles are out—or are they? (Ltr to Edit). New Zealand Medical Journal 103:24, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Seling MJ, Johnson GW: A bridge to the community for extended-care state hospital patients. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 41:180–183, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Day K: Mental retardation: Clinical aspects and management, in Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry. Edited by Bluglass R, Bowden P. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 1990.

  13. Geller JL, Bertsch G: Fire-setting behavior in the histories of a state hospital population. American Journal of Psychiatry 142:464–468, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Geller JL, Fisher WH, Wirth-Cauchon JL, Simon LJ: Second-generation deinstitutionalization, I: The impact ofBrewster v. Dukakis on state hospital case mix. American Journal of Psychiatry 147:982–987, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kafry D: Play with matches: Children and fire, in Human Behavior. Edited by Canter D: Chichester, England, Wiley, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hall JR, Jr.: A look at juvenile firesetting and fire play. Fire Journal 83(1):26–30, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kolko DJ: Juvenile firesetting: A review and methodological critique. Clinical Psychology Review 5:345–376, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kolko DJ: Firesetting and pyromania, in Handbook of Child Psychiatric Diagnosis. Edited by Last CG, Hersen M. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Klecka WR:Discriminant Analysis. Beverly Hills CA, Sage Publications, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Geller JL: Firesetting in the adult psychiatric population. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 38:501–506, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Geller JL: Pathological firesetting in adults. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 15:283–302, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Geller JL: Communicative arson. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 43:76–77, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Geller JL, Fisher WH, Bertsch G: Who repeats? A follow-up study of state hospital patients' firesetting behavior. Psychiatric Quarterly 63:143–157, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Geller JL: Arson: An unforseen sequela of deinstitutionalization. American Journal of Psychiatry 141:504–508, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Governor's Special Commission on Consolidation of Health and Human Services Institutional Facilities: Actions for Quality Care. Boston, Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services, 1991.

  26. Peck v. Counseling Services of Addison County 499 A 2d 422 (Vt. 1985).

  27. Stone AA: Vermont adoptsTarosoff: A real barn burner. American Journal of Psychiatry 143:352–355, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Onofrio v. Department of Mental Health, 562 N.E. 2d 1341 (Mass. S.J.C. 1990).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue North, 01655, Worcester, MA

    Jeffrey L. Geller M.D., M.P.H. (a Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Public Sector Psychiatry) & William H. Fisher Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)

  2. Duke University School of Medicine, USA

    Kate Moynihan (Medical Student)

Authors
  1. Jeffrey L. Geller M.D., M.P.H.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William H. Fisher Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kate Moynihan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Geller, J.L., Fisher, W.H. & Moynihan, K. Adult lifetime prevalence of firesetting behaviors in a state hospital population. Psych Quart 63, 129–142 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065986

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065986

Keywords

Search

Navigation