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Kenneth Tardiff, MD, MPH

JAMA. 1982;248(4):471.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

As physicians concerned with the preservation of life, the problem of violence is well within our sphere in terms of its study, treatment, and, hopefully, prevention. In studying the characteristics of violent psychiatric patients and criminals in general, young persons have received the most attention as perpetrators of violence, while old persons have been seen as vulnerable victims of violence.

The article by Petrie and colleagues in this issue of THE JOURNAL (p 443) focuses our attention on the old, namely, patients admitted to a geriatric unit of a state hospital. Approximately 8% of these patients committed serious violent acts with a weapon, usually a gun, and another 63% were physically assaultive without a weapon or verbally abusive toward other persons. For those geriatric patients using a weapon, it usually was their first violent episode and first experience with psychiatric treatment. This certainly differs from the picture of the young . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Cornell University Medical College New York

Footnotes
Address editorial communications to the Editor, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610.

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