Why is there a rise in extreme violence in psychiatric hospitals?

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local...
The News Tribune Drugs might breed violence attacks on staff rise at Western State Hospital M. ALEXANDER OTTO
May 28th, 2007

Violence has been a growing problem at Western State Hospital for years. If present trends continue, one in four of the Lakewood mental hospital's more than 1,700 workers can expect to be assaulted by a patient in 2007, according to the state Department of Labor and Industries.

For years, hospital administrators have blamed the violence on familiarcauses: not enough staff members, not enough money and increased societal violence that leads to the admission of more-violent patients. But they don't have the data to back up those assertions.

A News Tribune analysis of drug-prescribing trends at Western since 1999 finds another possible factor: Western is giving more patients psychiatric drugs with side effects that can include extreme agitation and aggression.

The drugs include newer antidepressants and newer anti-psychotics dubbed atypical anti-psychotics.

The newer drugs, which are expensive compared with older, generic
alternatives, have been heavily promoted at the hospital by the
pharmaceutical companies that make them. Sales representatives for those companies have logged about 1,200 visits to Western since late 2003,
when administrators began tracking their activity.

Concerned about their influence on prescribing patterns, the hospital
in March banned all drug company representatives from visiting the campus to meet with doctors.

whatever

there could be many factors, for example in the UK care in the community is a big thing it means there is a lot lot more people that would normally have been sectioned out in the community. the majority are fine upstanding people with problems like myself but the few that slip through the net are dangerous and really should not be aloud to roam around doing as they please.
I do agree that there is many new meds that could also be having an effect on the increase I have had a couple of anti-psychotics that have drove me to a crazy place in my mind.
then there is the increase in drug (illegal) use and the long term effects that has had mental on people. all this mind bending drugs that the young people think are great if they could spend a day looking around a mental hospital full of people that have taken them and now live through what they do maybe it would stop them and make them think before taking the next pill or the next hit.

My opinion. I think it is the new drugs. Even for the "normal" person, I think a lot of the older drugs would work just as well, if not better than the newer, very expensive drugs. These new drugs are not as tried as the older ones. By using these new drugs, we are just supporting the drug companies--like we are supporting the oil companies. lol Personally I do not think the doctors are getting a kick back but some people say they are so I don't know but if they are, doctors would naturally use the newer drugs. Also, they have to believe that the new drugs may be more beneficial when in fact they are proving to not be. (but will they believe that the older drug was better or do they even care???) The new drugs are proving to have serious side effects.