Abstract
Violence significantly affects people in prison. While aggression may be exacerbated by environmental factors, violence may be reduced by early recognition of agitation, de-escalation techniques and non-pharmacological, behaviourally-based therapy. Pharmacological options may be required in rapid sedation protocols for highly agitated prisoners, but are also required to treat underlying serious illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Pharmacological options may also help people with poor impulse control, but are not first-line options for personality disorders. Overall, the ideal management of aggression is to treat the underlying cause through pharmacological and non-pharmacological means.
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C. Fenton, a contracted employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, and A. Lee, a salaried employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, declare no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to the review and are responsible for the article content.
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Fenton, C., Lee, A. Pre-empt aggression in prison and treat precipitating conditions. Drugs Ther Perspect 37, 242–248 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-021-00836-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-021-00836-z