Low-secure units: outcomes and risk factors

A study of 86 patients admitted to a low-secure unit in S.E. London aimed to measure the effectiveness of treatment and to identify predictors of change. Significant improvements were found on the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS), the Staff Observed Aggression Scale (SOAS) and the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) and improvements on the GAS and HoNOS were associated with moves to a lower level of security. Patients with a history of conviction for property damage, cannabis use and who were admitted on a forensics section or who had a diagnosis of personality disorder were more likely to move to a higher level of security. Increased length of stay was related to the presence of physical assault, physical health problems and anxiety symptoms.

Beer, M. Dominic ... [et al] - Predicting outcome in low secure environments: a case series from one low secure unit Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care December 2007, 3(2), 85-92