https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764019831315 International Journal of Social Psychiatry 1–11 © The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0020764019831315 journals.sagepub.com/home/isp E CAMDEN SCHIZOPH Introduction Victimization of patients with major mental illness dates back since Roman encyclopedist Celsus (~25 BC to AD ~50) who recommended ‘torture, starvation or flogging’ as treatments for mental illness (Stone, 2003). Mentally ill patients represent a potentially vulnerable population and can be subjected to significant victimiza- tion in the community, compared to regular population (Benjet, Thompson, & Gotlib, 2010; Lehman, 1999; White, Chafetz, Collins-Bride, & Nickens, 2006). According to international records, the yearly preva- lence rate of victimization of mentally ill patients was esti- mated between 16% and 60%. The rates variability depends mainly upon the operational definition used (Choe, Teplin, & Abram, 2008; Dekker et al., 2010; van Weeghel et al., 2009). ‘Victimization’ is defined as the act of being a victim of any aggressive behavior (Hodgins, Alderton, Cree, Aboud, & Mak, 2007), which comprises violent victimization as rape, sexual assault, robbery and physical assault (Teplin, McClelland, Abram, & Weiner, 2005), and domestic vic- timization is defined as any incidence of threatening Rates and profile of victimization in a sample of Egyptian patients with major mental illness Ahmed El Missiry 1 , Marwa Abd El Meguid 1 , Ahmed Abourayah 2 , Marwa El Missiry 1 , Mohamed Hossam 1 , Hussien Elkholy 1 and Afaf H Khalil 1 Abstract Background: Patients with major mental illness have an increased risk of victimization. Nevertheless, this topic was not thoroughly studied in Egyptian patients with major mental illness. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to investigate the rates of victimization and understand its profile, psycho- demographic and clinical correlates among a sample of Egyptian patients with major mental illness. Participants and Methods: A total of 300 patients (100 patients with schizophrenia, 100 with bipolar and 100 with major depression) were recruited from the inpatient wards and outpatient clinics at Ain Shams University. They were subjected to a demographic questionnaire, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and a Victimization Questionnaire (VQ). Results: In our study population, 130 (43.3%) of patients were victimized, of them 52 (40%) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 48 (36.9%) with bipolar disorder and 30 (23.1%) with schizophrenia. Victimization was more in female, married, unemployed individuals and those living in rural areas. Patients exposed to domestic violence or abuse during childhood had higher rates of victimization. All victimized patients were subjected to emotional victimization, 64.6% were physically victimized and 53.8% were subjected to miscellaneous types of victimization. Patients were victimized mainly by acquaintance followed by family members. The majority of patients did not report their victimization and considered it as a personal issue or not important enough to be reported. Conclusion: Patients with major mental illness are susceptible to significant victimization. Clinicians should explore possible history of abuse or victimization in their patients, empower and support the victimized ones. Keywords Major mental illness, victimization, perpetrator, physical abuse, emotional abuse 1 Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 2 William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Adjunct Faculty, School of Public Health, West Virginia University (WVU), Morgantown, WV, USA Corresponding author: Hussien Elkholy, Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Hospitals (Eldemerdash), El Abassia, Cairo 11657, Egypt. Email: h.elkholy@med.asu.edu.eg 831315ISP 0 0 10.1177/0020764019831315International Journal of Social PsychiatryMissiry et al. research-article 2019 Original Article