The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients

Laura E. O’Shea, Geoffrey L. Dickens

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Abstract

Objective Periodic structured violence risk assessment is the principle method underlying treatment planning for mentally disordered offenders but little is known about how risk changes over time. We aimed to determine whether hospitalised patients underwent reliable clinical change in assessed risk. Method We used a pseudo-prospective longitudinal study design. Demographic, clinical and risk assessment data of adult inpatients (N=480) who had been routinely assessed with the HCR-20 on two to four occasions over a mean period of 17 months (SD=2) were collated. Linear mixed models regression was conducted to determine change over time on total, subscale, and individual item scores, and relative change between clinical and demographic groups. The Reliable Change Index was calculated to examine whether change was greater than that expected by measurement error; clinically significant change was defined as the extent to which HCR-20 scores reduced below previously reported scores for patients not requiring hospitalisation. Results HCR-20 total score (Estimate −0.42, 95% CI=−0.84, −0.01, p<.05; d=.20) and clinical score (Estimate=−0.42, 95% CI=−0.64, −0.20, p<.001; d=.36) reduced over assessments. Significant differences in change were evident between clinically and demographically defined groups. A maximum of 3% of individuals showed clinically significant reliable reductions in HCR-20 total scores. The scores of patients whose overall level of risk was judged to have decreased did not reduce between assessments. Conclusion Violence risk changes very little over the course of treatment although there is some variation between groups. Most change cannot be demonstrated to be reliable or clinically significant. Important clinical management decisions should not depend solely on evidence from changes in HCR-20 risk assessment.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)132-140
Number of pages9
JournalComprehensive Psychiatry
Volume62
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jul 2015

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Violence
Psychiatry
Inpatients
Demography
Longitudinal Studies
Linear Models
Hospitalization
Prospective Studies
Therapeutics

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O’Shea, Laura E. ; Dickens, Geoffrey L. / The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients. In: Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2015 ; Vol. 62. pp. 132-140.
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title = "The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients",
abstract = "Objective Periodic structured violence risk assessment is the principle method underlying treatment planning for mentally disordered offenders but little is known about how risk changes over time. We aimed to determine whether hospitalised patients underwent reliable clinical change in assessed risk. Method We used a pseudo-prospective longitudinal study design. Demographic, clinical and risk assessment data of adult inpatients (N=480) who had been routinely assessed with the HCR-20 on two to four occasions over a mean period of 17 months (SD=2) were collated. Linear mixed models regression was conducted to determine change over time on total, subscale, and individual item scores, and relative change between clinical and demographic groups. The Reliable Change Index was calculated to examine whether change was greater than that expected by measurement error; clinically significant change was defined as the extent to which HCR-20 scores reduced below previously reported scores for patients not requiring hospitalisation. Results HCR-20 total score (Estimate −0.42, 95{\%} CI=−0.84, −0.01, p<.05; d=.20) and clinical score (Estimate=−0.42, 95{\%} CI=−0.64, −0.20, p<.001; d=.36) reduced over assessments. Significant differences in change were evident between clinically and demographically defined groups. A maximum of 3{\%} of individuals showed clinically significant reliable reductions in HCR-20 total scores. The scores of patients whose overall level of risk was judged to have decreased did not reduce between assessments. Conclusion Violence risk changes very little over the course of treatment although there is some variation between groups. Most change cannot be demonstrated to be reliable or clinically significant. Important clinical management decisions should not depend solely on evidence from changes in HCR-20 risk assessment.",
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O’Shea, LE & Dickens, GL 2015, 'The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients', Comprehensive Psychiatry, vol. 62, pp. 132-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.07.009

The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients. / O’Shea, Laura E.; Dickens, Geoffrey L.

In: Comprehensive Psychiatry, Vol. 62, 20.07.2015, p. 132-140.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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T1 - The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients

AU - O’Shea, Laura E.

AU - Dickens, Geoffrey L.

PY - 2015/7/20

Y1 - 2015/7/20

N2 - Objective Periodic structured violence risk assessment is the principle method underlying treatment planning for mentally disordered offenders but little is known about how risk changes over time. We aimed to determine whether hospitalised patients underwent reliable clinical change in assessed risk. Method We used a pseudo-prospective longitudinal study design. Demographic, clinical and risk assessment data of adult inpatients (N=480) who had been routinely assessed with the HCR-20 on two to four occasions over a mean period of 17 months (SD=2) were collated. Linear mixed models regression was conducted to determine change over time on total, subscale, and individual item scores, and relative change between clinical and demographic groups. The Reliable Change Index was calculated to examine whether change was greater than that expected by measurement error; clinically significant change was defined as the extent to which HCR-20 scores reduced below previously reported scores for patients not requiring hospitalisation. Results HCR-20 total score (Estimate −0.42, 95% CI=−0.84, −0.01, p<.05; d=.20) and clinical score (Estimate=−0.42, 95% CI=−0.64, −0.20, p<.001; d=.36) reduced over assessments. Significant differences in change were evident between clinically and demographically defined groups. A maximum of 3% of individuals showed clinically significant reliable reductions in HCR-20 total scores. The scores of patients whose overall level of risk was judged to have decreased did not reduce between assessments. Conclusion Violence risk changes very little over the course of treatment although there is some variation between groups. Most change cannot be demonstrated to be reliable or clinically significant. Important clinical management decisions should not depend solely on evidence from changes in HCR-20 risk assessment.

AB - Objective Periodic structured violence risk assessment is the principle method underlying treatment planning for mentally disordered offenders but little is known about how risk changes over time. We aimed to determine whether hospitalised patients underwent reliable clinical change in assessed risk. Method We used a pseudo-prospective longitudinal study design. Demographic, clinical and risk assessment data of adult inpatients (N=480) who had been routinely assessed with the HCR-20 on two to four occasions over a mean period of 17 months (SD=2) were collated. Linear mixed models regression was conducted to determine change over time on total, subscale, and individual item scores, and relative change between clinical and demographic groups. The Reliable Change Index was calculated to examine whether change was greater than that expected by measurement error; clinically significant change was defined as the extent to which HCR-20 scores reduced below previously reported scores for patients not requiring hospitalisation. Results HCR-20 total score (Estimate −0.42, 95% CI=−0.84, −0.01, p<.05; d=.20) and clinical score (Estimate=−0.42, 95% CI=−0.64, −0.20, p<.001; d=.36) reduced over assessments. Significant differences in change were evident between clinically and demographically defined groups. A maximum of 3% of individuals showed clinically significant reliable reductions in HCR-20 total scores. The scores of patients whose overall level of risk was judged to have decreased did not reduce between assessments. Conclusion Violence risk changes very little over the course of treatment although there is some variation between groups. Most change cannot be demonstrated to be reliable or clinically significant. Important clinical management decisions should not depend solely on evidence from changes in HCR-20 risk assessment.

U2 - 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.07.009

DO - 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.07.009

M3 - Article

VL - 62

SP - 132

EP - 140

JO - Comprehensive Psychiatry

JF - Comprehensive Psychiatry

SN - 0010-440X

ER -

O’Shea LE, Dickens GL. The HCR-20 as a measure of reliable and clinically significant change in violence risk among secure psychiatric inpatients. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2015 Jul 20;62:132-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.07.009

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