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Received: 15 April 2020 | Revised: 19 June 2020 | Accepted: 21 July 2020

DOI: 10.1111/ppc.12589

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

An exploration of the sleep quality and potential violence


among patients with schizophrenia in community

Zi‐Ting Chen MSN1,2 | Hsiao‐Tzu Wang RN, MSN3 | Ke‐Hsin Chueh RN, PhD4,5 |
6 7
I‐Chao Liu MD, DSc | Chien‐Ming Yang PhD

1
Department of Nursing, Fu Jen Catholic
University, Taipei, Taiwan Abstract
2
Department of Nursing, Taipei Tzu Chi
Purpose: Sleep quality in patients with schizophrenia is correlated with potential
Hospital Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation,
Taipei, Taiwan violence. However, few studies have conducted in‐depth discussions on community
3
Department of Nursing, Bali Psychiatric patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to explore the influences
Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei,
Taiwan of demographic characteristics, psychiatric symptom severity, and sleep quality in
4
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, community patients with schizophrenia on the risks of potential violence and its
Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan
subdimensions (ie, physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility).
5
Deputy Director of Department of Nursing,
Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Taipei,
Design and Methods: This study adopted a cross‐sectional research design. Using
Taiwan convenience sampling, 78 community patients with schizophrenia were recruited from
6
Director of Department of Psychiatry, Fu Jen psychiatric outpatient clinics, day wards, and those who received home‐care services.
Catholic University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
7 Findings: This study discovered that sleep quality is a crucial factor that influences
Department of Psychology, National Chengchi
University, Taipei, Taiwan the risks of potential violence. Analysis on the subdimensions revealed that having a
violence history during the preceding month and sleep quality are crucial factors
Correspondence
Ke‐Hsin Chueh, RN, PhD, No. 510 Zhongzheng that influence physical aggression. In addition, sleep quality is a crucial factor that
Rd, Xinzhuang District, New Taipei 24205,
influences the occurrence of anger. Age and sleep quality substantially influence
Taiwan.
Email: kchueh@gmail.com hostility. However, this study did not identify any crucial factors that influenced
verbal aggression.
Practice Implications: In the future, community nursing professionals should collect
data on the patients’ age, whether the patients exhibited violence behavior during
the preceding month, and their sleep quality to prevent risks of potential violence,
physical aggression, anger, or hostility.

KEYWORDS

community, potential violence, schizophrenia, sleep quality

1 | INTRODUCTION physical violence while 58.1% had experienced psychological violence in


the past year.4 Therefore, predicting patient violence is crucial for family
The number of patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan increases annually. members who care for patients. This study examined the influences of
By 2018, this number had increased to 151 844. Among these patients, personal characteristics, severity of psychiatric symptoms, and sleep
136 097 (89.63%) were outpatients, and the percentages of male and quality on the risks of potential violence and its subdimensions (ie, phy-
female patients were 50.04% and 49.96%, respectively.1 In schizophrenia, sical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility) among commu-
changes in emotion, perception, and thinking are considered psychotic nity patients with schizophrenia. The results of this study can serve as a
symptoms that can increase the risk of potential violence.2,3 The parents reference for community healthcare staff to predict and prevent patient
of patients with schizophrenia had experienced 34.8% had experienced violence.

Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2020;1–7. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ppc © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC | 1


2 | CHEN ET AL.

1.1 | Literature review often observed among male patients with schizophrenia.28 Another
study indicated that the male‐to‐female ratio among Chinese homi-
5,6
Schizophrenia is a type of severe mental disorder. Following the cide offenders with schizophrenia was 4:1.29 In addition, studies have
onset of schizophrenia, patients may experience impairment of found that younger patients exhibit stronger hostility than older
mental reasoning and emotion recognition (eg, emotional tone re- patients do.30 Patients with a history of violent behaviors have a
cognition) abilities. In addition, the severity of their positive and relatively high risk of exhibiting violent behavior.31 The violent be-
negative symptoms may influence their social interactions and even haviors of patients with schizophrenia include physical aggression,
result in interpersonal conflicts.7 According to statistical analysis for verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, which correlate with physio-
the year 2016,8 87.6% of patients with chronic mental disorders in logical changes in the brain. Sleep disorders may reduce emotional
Taiwan lived in communities. Moreover, 68.8% of outpatients were control, thereby increasing the frequency of violent behaviors.
9
failed to adhere to their antipsychotic medications, thereby causing Moreover, sex, age, and history of violence are correlated with vio-
symptom recurrence and also increasing the risks of potential lent behavior among patients with schizophrenia.
violence10 and the rehospitalization rate.11 In summary, physiological changes and unsatisfactory sleep
Sleep is a basic physiological need and is a crucial factor for the quality among patients with schizophrenia can influence their emo-
maintenance of excellent health status.12 Sleep disorders lead to a tional adjustment. Therefore, sleep quality is closely correlated with
continuous activation of the sympathetic nervous system13 and a changes in these patients’ emotions. In the present study, we ex-
reduction in frontal‐lobe activity, which results in distraction and amined the influences of personal characteristics, psychiatric symp-
cognitive impairment among patients and even causing behavioral tom severity, and sleep quality on the risks of potential violence and
control problems.14 Insomnia is commonly observed in patients with its subdimensions (ie, physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger,
15,16
schizophrenia. Compared patients with schizophrenia without and hostility) among community patients with schizophrenia.
insomnia, patients with both schizophrenia and insomnia exhibit
more notable psychiatric symptoms and have a higher risk of
aggravated symptoms after stopping antipsychotic medications. They 2 | M ETHO DO LO G Y
also demonstrate poorer treatment compliance and receive lower
levels of family support.17 2.1 | Research design
Violent behavior has been defined as an attempt or action to
harm a target.18 Patients with mental disorders often exhibit violent This was a cross‐sectional study, and the convenience sampling
behavior due to physical disease, recurrence of psychotic symptoms method was adopted. From 11 October 2018 to 16 August 2019,
by irregular medication,19 urgency, and emotional regulation patients from the psychiatric outpatient clinics and day wards at a
impairment.20 Psychiatric symptoms such as hostility are closely regional teaching hospital in New Taipei City and patients partici-
correlated with the frequency of severe violent behaviors. Coid et al2 pating in home‐care services provided by this hospital were recruited
revealed that general psychological distress and specific psychiatric for the study. The researcher explained the research purpose and
symptoms are correlated with the patients’ frequency of violent process to the patients, including signing of the informed consent
episodes within each 6‐month period. The frontal lobe is a pivotal form, collection of daily rest times and basic information, and
brain area responsible for emotional adjustment.21 The schizophrenia scheduled date and place of the investigation. The investigation time
22
patients' frontal functions may abnormalities, and the white‐matter was from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at least 2 hours after patients woke up
deficits in the left inferior frontal gyrus23 atrophy and hypometa- in the morning and at least 30 minutes after their last meal and ex-
bolism of temporal, subcortical areas, and frontal.24 The frontal lobe ercise. To ensure patient privacy, data were collected at the patient's
function deficits increase the risk of a patient exhibiting impulsive residence or in a quiet interview room in the clinic ward. The patients
and aggressive behavior.25 Changes in brain structure may influence were surveyed using Chinese versions of self‐report Pittsburgh Sleep
brain functions. Moreover, sleep disturbance, which is commonly Quality Index and The Aggression Questionnaire. In addition, the
observed in patients with schizophrenia,16 reduces frontal cortex Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was administered and the
function, impairs emotional control, and increases the frequency of pharmaceutical equivalence of psychiatric medication was recorded.
violent behaviors, anger, and aggressive impulses.26 An analysis of This study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital (No.
psychological violence among patients with mental illnesses in the 07‐XD‐073).
Japanese communities revealed that 56.1% of these patients ex-
hibited physical aggression27 and that is related to family stigma, low
household income, and the patient's age.4 Studies in other countries 2.2 | Participants
have identified parents as the main targets of aggression by patients
with schizophrenia. These violent behaviors include verbal aggres- A total of 78 participants were recruited for this study. The inclusion
sion, physical aggression, self‐harm, and sexual violence; the most criteria were as follows: (a) patients who were diagnosed with schi-
common of which is physical aggression are like punching and kicking, zophrenia by a psychiatrist according to Diagnostic and Statistical
27
etc. A previous study has revealed that aggressive behaviors are Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition32; (b) patients who had not
CHEN ET AL. | 3

been hospitalized because of aggravated symptoms for 1 month or 3 weeks, which yielded a test‐retest reliability of 0.93, and the test‐
those whose medicine had not been changed due to changes in their retest reliabilities for physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger,
psychiatric symptoms for 1 month; (c) patients who could understand and hostility were 0.90, 0.67, 0.77, and 0.79, respectively. In Liu,38
Mandarin or Taiwanese and could communicate using these lan- the Cronbach's α (internal consistency) for this scale was .77, The
guages; (d) patients who were fully conscious and able to complete Cronbach's α of the subdivisions of physical aggression, verbal ag-
the questionnaires; (e) patients who were taking antipsychotic gression, anger, and hostility were .67, .64, .78, .76, respectively, thus
medicine within the suggested dosage; patients aged of 20 to demonstrating satisfactory consistency. In this study, the Cronbach's
65 years. Patients with comorbid personality disorders, mood dis- α for the overall scale was .77; the Cronbach's α values for the
orders, or substance use disorders were excluded. subdimensions of physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and
hostility were .70, .72, .73, and .81, respectively.

2.3 | Research instruments


2.4 | Data analysis
This study adopted the following questionnaires: a demographic in-
formation sheet; the BPRS, and the Chinese versions of the Pittsburgh The SPSS 22 (Windows) software package was employed for statis-
sleep quality index (PSQI) and the Aggression Questionnaire. tical analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to explore correlations
The demographic information sheet was self‐developed to of demographic data, severity of psychiatric symptoms, and sleep
record participants’ ages, sex, education levels, and histories of vio- quality with risks of potential violence and its subdimensions (ie,
lence during the preceding month and their regular medication physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility). A mul-
33
habits. The BPRS developed by Overall and Gorham is used to tiple regression analysis was performed to examine the influential
rapidly assess the severity of a patient's psychiatric symptoms. In factors for potential violence.
1986, Chang, Hu, and Wei translated the 16 items of the BPRS into
Chinese.34 The intraclass correlation coefficient of this scale was
0.69, indicating satisfactory reliability. Psychiatric symptoms are 3 | RE SU LTS
classified into affective, behavioral, cognitive, and drive symptoms.
This scale was used to assess patients’ psychiatric symptoms during This study recruited community patients with schizophrenia between
the preceding week. In the present study, the Cronbach's α (internal 21 and 64 years old. The average age of the participants was 42.59
consistency) for this scale was .84. (±10.10) years old. Most patients were aged 30 to 39 years (35.90%)
The Chinese version of the PSQI comprises seven dimensions of and were women (N = 50; 64.10%). In addition, most of the patients
sleep quality, namely subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep had a senior or vocational high school education level (N = 34;
disturbances, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, daytime dys- 43.59%). The majority of the patients had not exhibit violent beha-
function, and use of sleep medication. Each dimension is scored 0 to viors (N = 74; 94.87%) and had taken their medicine regularly
3 points, with a higher overall score indicating poor sleep quality.35,36 (N = 68; 87.18%) during the preceding month.
The Cronbach's α (internal consistency) and test‐retest reliability Table 1 presents the correlations of demographic data, severity
(retest conducted after 14‐21 days) were .82 to .83 and .85, of psychiatric symptoms, and sleep quality with risks of potential
respectively. For a cut‐off point of 5, the sensitivity and specificity violence and its subdimensions. The results revealed that the physical
levels were 98% and 55%, respectively.36 The original scale assesses aggression scores of patients who exhibited violent behavior during
sleep quality during the preceding month. To assess patients’ short‐ the preceding month were significantly higher than that of those who
term sleep quality, the present study assessed the patients’ sleep did not (t = −2.19, P = .032). The anger scores of patients who took
quality during the preceding week. In this study, the Cronbach's α their medicine regularly were significantly higher than that of those
(internal consistency) for this scale was .73. who did not (t = 2.02, P = .047). Patients with more severe psychiatric
The Chinese version of the Aggression Questionnaire was used symptoms had significantly higher scores in potential violence
to assess risks of potential violence. This scale was developed from (r = .37, P = .001), physical aggression (r = .34, P = .002), anger (r = .35,
the Hostility Inventory by Buss and Durkee37 and was translated into P = .002), and hostility (r = .32, P = .004). Subsequently, patients with
Chinese by Liu.38 The scale comprises 29 items measuring physical less satisfactory sleep quality had significantly higher scores in po-
aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. A 5‐point Likert tential violence (r = .48, P ≤ .001), physical aggression (r = .41,
scale from 1 (completely wrong) to 5 (completely correct) was adopted. P ≤ .001), anger (r = .42, P ≤ .001), and hostility (r = .49, P ≤ .001).
The full score was 145 points and the cut‐off point was 66 points. Table 2 presents the multiple regression analysis for the influ-
Higher scores indicate higher risks of potential violence. Buss and ence of demographics, severity of psychiatric symptoms, and sleep
Perry39 conducted a retest of 372 participants after 9 weeks, and the quality on risks of potential violence and its subdimensions. The
test‐retest reliabilities for physical aggression, verbal aggression, results revealed that unsatisfactory sleep quality was the only in-
anger, and hostility were 0.80, 0.76, 0.72, and 0.72, respectively. This fluential factor for risks of potential violence (β = .38, P = .003); sleep
study conducted retest on Taiwanese university students after quality explained 21% of the variance in the risk of potential violence.
4
|

T A B L E 1 Influence of the demographic characteristics of community patients with schizophrenia on their risk of potential violence and its subdimensions (N = 78)

Potential violence Physical aggression Verbal aggression Anger Hostility

Variable n (%) M SD t/F/r P M SD t/F/r P M SD t/F/r P M SD t/F/r p M SD t/F/r P

Age F = 0.27 .898 F = 0.47 .755 F = 1.02 .404 F = 0.64 .636 F = 0.93 .450
20‐29 y 7 (8.97) 72.43 23.66 23.43 7.28 12.86 5.90 15.71 5.85 20.43 7.87
30‐39 y 28 (35.90) 70.39 17.97 20.89 6.17 12.82 4.72 18.04 5.99 18.64 7.25
40‐49 y 18 (23.08) 69.56 18.36 19.72 6.11 13.89 4.25 17.89 5.51 18.06 7.04
50‐59 y 21 (26.92) 71.00 19.65 21.48 6.10 14.33 5.18 19.38 6.58 15.81 7.04
60‐64 y 4 (5.13) 61.00 20.96 21.00 8.16 9.50 3.42 15.75 8.46 14.75 4.99

Sex t = −0.26 .796 t = 1.32 .192 t = −0.23 .823 t = −1.25 .217 t = −0.62 .537
Men 28 (35.90) 69.32 20.51 22.25 6.79 13.14 5.23 16.89 6.14 17.04 6.99
Women 50 (64.10) 70.48 17.99 20.32 5.87 13.40 4.62 18.68 6.05 18.08 7.22

Education level F = 1.49 .232 F = 1.42 .247 F = 0.46 .631 F = 2.24 .113 F = 0.88 .418
Low 12 (15.38) 67.50 19.52 21.83 5.67 13.50 4.87 16.67 6.31 15.50 5.28
Medium 34 (43.59) 74.21 17.74 22.06 6.36 13.82 4.79 19.68 5.87 18.65 7.46
High 32 (41.03) 66.63 19.37 19.59 6.23 12.69 4.90 16.81 6.03 17.53 7.31

Exhibited violent behavior t = −1.09 .281 t = −2.19 .032 t = −1.70 .093 t = −0.41 .686 t = 0.49 .625
within the preceding
month
Yes 4 (5.13) 80.00 6.40 27.50 6.19 17.25 2.06 19.25 3.59 16.00 5.66
No 74 (94.87) 69.53 19.10 20.66 6.09 13.09 4.83 17.97 6.22 17.80 7.20

Having taken medicine t = 1.50 .139 t = 0.37 .712 t = 0.84 .405 t = 2.02 .047 t = 1.34 .185
regularly for the preceding
month
Yes 68 (87.18) 68.85 19.12 20.91 6.48 13.13 4.94 17.51 6.13 17.29 7.00
No 10 (12.82) 78.30 14.79 21.70 4.52 14.50 3.81 21.60 4.72 20.50 7.58

BPRS r = .37 .001 r = .34 .002 r = .08 .484 r = .35 .002 r = .32 .004

CPSQI r = .48 <.001 r = .41 <.001 r = .07 .518 r = .42 <.001 r = .49 <.001

Note: Educational level is classified into the following categories: Low: illiteracy, elementary school, or junior high school; Medium: Senior or vocational high school; High: university or graduate school.
Abbreviations: BPRS, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; CPSQI, Chinese versions of self‐report Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; SD, standard deviation.
CHEN
ET AL.
CHEN ET AL. | 5

T A B L E 2 Multiple regression analysis of the influences of the severity of psychiatric symptoms and sleep quality on risks of potential violence
and its subdimensions (N = 78)

Potential violence Physical aggression Verbal aggression Anger Hostility

Variable β P β P β P β P β P

Demographic characteristics
Age −.10 .389 −.02 .864 .03 .837 .04 .739 −.29 .008
Sex .09 .421 −.11 .319 .01 .939 .15 .194 .20 .063
Education level −.06 .569 −.16 .117 −.03 .805 −.04 .730 .04 .709
Violent episodes within the preceding month .09 .393 .25 .017 .18 .144 −.01 .906 −.09 .357
Having taken medicine regularly for the preceding .03 .794 .13 .263 −.04 .780 −.07 .551 .05 .630
month

BPRS .21 .078 .15 .200 .06 .655 .24 .052 .18 .111

CPSQI .38 .003 .37 .003 .02 .877 .30 .019 .41 .001

Adj R 2
.21 .23 −.05 .17 .28

F 3.84 4.28 .48 3.32 5.30

Note: Multiple regression analysis was adopted to analyze demographic characteristics, severity of psychiatric symptoms (assessed using the BPRS), and
sleep quality (assessed using the Chinese version of the PSQI).
Abbreviations: Adj, adjusted; BPRS, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; CPSQI, Chinese versions of self‐report Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Analysis of the subdimensions revealed that unsatisfactory sleep regularly during the preceding month. In previous studies of patients
quality (β = .37, P = .003) and violent behaviors during the preceding with schizophrenia in acute psychiatric wards, 84.85% of patients
month (β = .25, P = .017) significantly influenced risks of physical ag- took their medicine regularly before hospitalization.40 The propor-
gression and explained 23% of its variance. Unsatisfactory sleep tion of patients who had taken their medicine regularly during the
quality was the only influential factor for anger (β = .30, P = .019) and preceding month was slightly higher in the present study than that in
explained 17% of its variance. Unsatisfactory sleep quality (β = .41, previous studies.
P = .001) and young age (β = −.29, P = .008) significantly influenced In this study, we analyzed factors that influenced risks of po-
hostility and explained 28% of its variance. In this study, no variables tential violence, physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and
significantly influenced verbal aggression. hostility among community patients with schizophrenia. The results
indicated that unsatisfactory sleep quality was a crucial influential
factor. A study of patients with mental disorders in criminal treat-
4 | D I S C U S SI O N ment institutions in the Netherlands revealed that patients with
sleep disturbances were more irritable, less tolerant to frustration,
According to the 2018 annual report of National Health Insurance more impulsive, and more aggressive. The study also revealed that
Statistics, 114 891 outpatients aged 20 to 64 years were diagnosed unsatisfactory sleep quality was positively correlated with risks of
as having schizophrenia; among them, those aged 40 to 49 years potential violence.41 Another study of junior and senior secondary
constituted the largest group (24.99%), followed by those aged 30 to school students revealed that sleep duration was negatively corre-
39 years (20.73%).1 The average age of the community patients with lated with Sibling aggression (r = −.45, P < .001); thus, a shorter sleep
schizophrenia in the present study was 42.59 (±10.10) years. Among duration increased the occurrence of aggression.42 These studies
these patients, 23.08% were aged 40 to 49 years. This proportion have indicated that unsatisfactory sleep quality significantly influ-
was slightly lower than that recorded by the Ministry of Health and ences risks of potential violence, physical aggression, anger, and
Welfare. In the current study, patients aged 30 to 39 years were the hostility; the results of the present study are consistent with these
largest group (35.90%), indicating that the proportion of younger findings. In this study of community patients with schizophrenia, no
patients in this study is greater than that of those in the 2018 report. variables significantly influenced verbal violence. This result was not
According to the data provided by the Ministry of Health and consistent with the findings of a study on sleep in adults, which in-
Welfare in 2018, among outpatients with schizophrenia aged 20 to dicated that short sleep duration was relatively high scores on anger,
64 years, 52.10% were men and 47.90% were women. In the present verbal, and physical expression.43 According to the regression ana-
study, 35.90% and 64.10% of the patients were men and women, lysis in the present study, only a very small proportion of the variance
respectively, indicating that the proportion of female patients was in verbal aggression could be explained; therefore, unknown vari-
higher in the present study than the 2018 report. In addition, in this ables remain to be investigated. In this study, the participants were
study, most of the patients (87.2%) had taken their medicine community patients with schizophrenia with senior or vocational high
6 | CHEN ET AL.

school education levels. Whether the condition and education level AC KNO WL EDG M EN TS
of patients influenced their risk of verbal aggression could be The authors thank the schizophrenia patients and the administrative
explored in future studies. units in the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
Few studies have explored the relationship between the age of and the Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital for their cooperation.
community patients with schizophrenia and their risk of hostility.
However, Sloan et al30 assigned patients into groups of those aged CON F LI CT OF IN TE RES T S
40 years or older and those aged younger than 40 years; this study The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.
revealed that patients aged younger than 40 years exhibited higher
levels of hostility than those aged 40 years or older. This result is in ORCI D
agreement with the findings of the present study, which indicated Ke‐Hsin Chueh http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9214-4316
that young age was a crucial influential factor for risk of hostility and
that younger patients exhibited stronger hostility. R E F E R E N CE S
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