In assessing the need for admission of a potentially violent patient, what is the most reliable predictor of future violent behavior?

History of violent behavior.

No studies to date have been able to provide great epidemiologic clues to identify patients that are likely to commit homicide after discharge from the ED. Patients age, gender, socioeconomic status, etc have consistently failed to predict the risk of violence.


Source

Raviprakash-Sood, T and Mcstay, C, "Evaluation of the Psychiatric Patient" Emerg Med Clin N Am. 2009