Latent Aggression and Impulsive Manifestations of the Psychiatric Patient. Clinical, Legal and Ethical Aspects

Psychiatry represents the medical branch that focuses not only
on the patient’s mental state but also on general health issues and
wellbeing. With the continuous development of human civilization, the
individual no longer uses aggression, a counterproductive method for day
to day living in the community, to meet its basic needs. Neurobiological
changes that lead to aggressive manifestations are a medical problem only
if the aggressive impulses occur in a person with a psychiatric diagnosis
already established and poses a danger to himself and others. Aggressive
behaviour due to a medical condition or biological factors is an old
problem that has great forensic implications both for the patient and for
the medical staff. Decreased quality of life, low emotional support and
social marginalization are some of the repercussions that emerge.
Understanding the negative effects of aggressive impulses found in multiple
psychiatric diagnoses is the key to an optimal doctor-patient relationship.
An individualized treatment is necessary, the final goal being social
reintegration.