Temperament and character in violent schizophrenic patients ☆ A. Fresán a, ⁎ , R. Apiquian b , H. Nicolini b,c , J.J. Cervantes a a Clinical Research Division, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Mexico City, 14370 Mexico b Carracci Medical Group, Mexico City, Mexico c Department of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City University. Mexico City, Mexico Received 28 February 2007; received in revised form 29 March 2007; accepted 5 April 2007 Available online 16 May 2007 Abstract Preliminary evidence shows that personality traits are important in determining violent behavior in schizophrenia. As only some patients with schizophrenia show a greater risk for violence, this risk may therefore be considered as dynamic, varying as a function of the extent to which certain personality dimensions are present and the degree to which environmental events moderate or exacerbate their expression. Objective: To compare temperament and character dimensions between violent and non-violent schizophrenic patients and to determine which temperament and character dimensions are predictors of violent behavior in schizophrenia. Method: We recruited 102 schizophrenic patients without concomitant substance abuse 4 months prior to the assessment. Diagnoses were based on the SCID-I. Personality dimensions were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory and violent behaviors with the Overt Aggression Scale. Results: Higher levels of the temperament dimension novelty seeking and a lower cooperativeness, as a character dimension, were risk factors for violent behavior in schizophrenic patients. Discussion: Our data indicate that schizophrenic patients will show a greater risk for violence according to certain personality configurations and the degree to which environmental events moderate or exacerbate their expression. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Schizophrenia; Violence; Personality; Temperament; Character 1. Introduction Some mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, increase the risk for violent behavior (Nestor, 2002). Nevertheless, the means by which schizophrenia increases the risk for violence has remained controver- sial. To date, comorbid substance misuse (Arsenault et al., 2000; Brennan et al., 2000; Cuffel et al., 1994; Swanson et al., 1990; Walsh et al., 2002, 2004) and psychotic symptoms (Bjorkly, 2002a,b; Fresán et al., 2005; Taylor, 1998; Walsh et al., 2004) have been suggested as factors that identify those schizophrenic patients at increased risk of committing violent acts. However, violent behaviors do not appear suddenly, and a past history of violence has been considered as a good predictor of future violent behavior among these patients (Cheung et al., 1997). In this way, it may be Schizophrenia Research 94 (2007) 74 – 80 www.elsevier.com/locate/schres ☆ Contributors: Ana Fresán designed the study, undertook the statistical analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Rogelio Apiquian and Humberto Nicolini performed the clinical evaluations of the patients and collaborate in the manuscript writing. Cervantes J. José participates in the manuscript elaboration. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript. ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +52 55 56552811x204; fax: +52 55 55133722. E-mail address: fresan@imp.edu.mx (A. Fresán). 0920-9964/$ - see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.04.005