A new study shows that a simple saliva test can help predict aggression and violent behavior.
A group of researchers have found that simple test like saliva testing can help predict aggression and violent behavior. They have established a direct link between the concentration of certain hormones in the saliva and aggression.
During the study, Drew Barzman, MD, a child and adolescent forensic psychiatrist at Cincinnati Children's and his team of researchers collected the saliva samples of 17 boys aged between 7 and 9 who were admitted in the hospital for psychiatric care. This was done to identify which of these boys will show the most aggression and violence.
The samples were collected three times on one day after admission to the hospital. Also samples were tested for the level of concentration of three hormones - testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and cortisol.
It was discovered that the level and severity of aggression were linked to the concentration levels of these three hormones.
"We believe salivary hormone testing has the potential to help doctors monitor which treatments are working best for their patients," said Barzman. "And because mental health professionals are far more likely to be assaulted on the job than the average worker, it could offer a quick way to anticipate violent behavior in child psychiatric units. Eventually, we hope this testing might also provide a tool to help improve safety in schools."
Along with the saliva test, other aggression tools like the Brief Rating of Aggression by Children and Adolescents (BRACHA) questionnaire, an assessment tool also developed by Barzman's team to predict aggression and violence in the hospital were used.
"This study sample, while small, gives us the data we need to move forward," Barzman said. "We have more studies planned before we can reach a definitive conclusion, but developing a new tool to help us anticipate violent behavior is our ultimate goal."
