Recidivism Rate among Patients discharged from long care unit in forensic psychiatry program at Mental Health Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: This article reports on an observational study of rate and violent recidivism after discharge from a Long-Term Forensic care unit, in mental Health Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia. It is an attempt to examine current state of the service provided and its outcomes. It is supposed to be a base line study on which further efforts are to be directed to understanding the risk factors, effective rehabilitation programs and the necessary community-based follow up strategies that would lead to the best outcome possible towards maximizing the benefits of long-term psychiatric care hospitalization on criminal behaviour. Methodology: We reviewed all psychiatric patients who were admitted to, then discharged from the chronic forensic rehabilitation ward from Mental Health Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia, between 2005 and 2020 (N=66). Our study focused exclusively on observational studies. We counted number of times of reconviction after the first Mental Health Hospital admission, and also counted for the number of readmissions. Descriptive statistical analysis was explored and presented as frequencies and percentages. We determined crude rates for all adverse outcomes. Results: We did nearly mean follow up of 15 years, 15.15 percent patients died after discharge with average age of death of 31-40 years, 68.18 percent were hospitalized due to relapse of illness and 16.66 percent violently offended after discharge associated with violent crime. The association between psychiatric diagnosis and outcome varied such as substance use disorder as a primary diagnosis was associated with highest risk of mortality and re-hospitalization, on which personality disorder was linked with the highest risk of violent offending. Furthermore, comorbid substance use disorder typically increased risk of adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Long term unit, although might mitigate the risk of high risk patient group. However, that is not enough and they still in a way or another, and for reasons to be looked at and investigated, pose risk to the public safety