Assaults and Microaggressions Against Psychiatric Residents: Findings from a US Survey

• Published in: Academic psychiatry 2024-08, Vol.48 (4), p.310-319
• Main Authors: Dawson, Drew, Bell, Sarah Beth, Hollman, Nicholas, Lemens, Tara, Obiozor, Crystal, Safo, Danielle, Manning, Tessa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Cultural Differences; Database Management Systems; Empirical Report; Feedback (Response); Females; Gender Discrimination; Hospitals; Internal Medicine; Medical Education; Medical Services; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental Health; Meta Analysis; Patients; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Race; Racial Identification; Rape; Sex crimes; Sexual Orientation; Training; Violence
• ISSN: 1042-9670; 1545-7230; 1545-7230
• DOI: 10.1007/s40596-024-01933-7

Objectives Psychiatric physicians may experience higher rates of assault than those in other fields. For many reasons, residents may be especially vulnerable. This study updates rates of assaults among US psychiatry residents as well as the reporting rates and emotional effects of these incidents. Little data exists to examine rates of microaggressions against psychiatry residents. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was distributed through a national residency database via a snowball-sampling approach between June and September of 2021. The questionnaire asked about experiences of verbal, physical, and sexual assaults, as well as microaggressions and their impact. Descriptive analyses of the obtained data were conducted. Results The survey was completed by 275 psychiatry residents from 29 states (63.6% women). At least one form of assault was experienced by 78.9% of participants with 74.5% experiencing verbal, 22.2% experiencing physical, and 6.2% experiencing sexual assault. At least one type of microaggression was experienced by 86.9% of trainees. Elevations in PTSD scores were seen in residents who identified as women and non-White and those physically injured or sexually assaulted. While 92.7% of residents stated their program provided training about assault, 25% of residents indicated they had no training on recognizing and responding to microaggressions. Conclusions Psychiatric residents experience widespread assault and microaggressions in the clinical setting but often do not report them. Due to the ubiquitous nature of these events, programs should provide training about early recognition and de-escalation techniques for agitation, responding effectively to microaggressions, and the importance of reporting events.