Het verband tussen huidgeleiding en agressie.

Abstract

Abstract Can skin conductance measured by a mobile device predict aggression with the aim of prevention?

Background: Aggression in psychiatric wards is a concerning problem for both staff and patients. Skin conductance is a known manner to measure psychological arousal, including aggression. Unfortunately there has not been very much research done on the relationship between skin conductance and aggression in psychiatric wards. The primary reason is that the equipment used for measuring skin conductance until now was substantial and not appropriate for use on psychiatric patients. Recently a mobile skin conductance device has been developed that can overcome this problem. This study has been conducted to determine if aggression can be predicted by measuring skin conductance.

Method: Twenty-eight participants wore a mobile device which recorded their Skin Conductance Level (SCL) and Skin Conductance Response (SCR) continuously for two days while an observer scored their visible arousal or aggression by means of the Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS) every half hour. Results: SCL did show a rise towards an aggressive episode, but not a significant one. The measured SCRs however showed a significant rise from an hour before the observed aggression. Conclusion: Possibly, increases of the number of SCRs can be helpful in detecting an increase of arousal and aggression risks in aggression-prone (forensic) psychiatric patients.