Study of alcohol-fuelled violence among Emergency Department patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A novel insight into alcohol-fuelled violence among Emergency Department patients
IRAS ID
220374
Contact name
Vaseekaran Sivarajasingam
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Traditional economic models have suggested that, when an individual consumes more alcohol, they find consuming violence more pleasurable. We seek to test this ‘impaired judgement’ hypothesis on patients seeking treatment for violent injuries at Cardiff Emergency Department (ED). In our model, two parties become involved in an argument which can be resolved through compromise or violence. When sober, compromise is always preferable, as fighting is costly. In line with evidence on ‘Dutch courage’, we propose that drinking makes parties overestimate their likelihood of winning a fight (so-called over optimism bias). Neither party is willing to back down and fighting becomes inevitable.\nStudy sample will consist of patients aged 16 years and over presenting at Cardiff ED following violent injury (n=100). Following written consent, patients will be breathalysed and asked to complete a culture-free IQ test. This consists of a series of picture sequences, shown to patients on a computer. Patients are then asked to select the picture that they believe is the next one in the sequence from several options. Having completed the test, patients will then be asked how many of the questions they think they got correct. The difference between their response and the actual number of correct answers provides a measure of over optimism bias. A new follow-up culture-free IQ test will be completed with the same cohort of patients at the review clinic a week later. Our hypothesis is that patients over optimism bias will be reduced at their follow-up interview, when sober. We will also ask patients to guess how many questions they thought they got correct during the first culture-free IQ test. Comparing this to their response at the first interview will give us a measure of sophistication. We expect sophistication to be negatively correlated with alcohol consumption, as measured by the breathalyser.\n
REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
17/WA/0026
Date of REC Opinion
13 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion