Direct Observational Coding of Staff Who Are the Victims of Assault

Staff members in psychiatric hospitals are frequently assaulted by patients. When asked what events triggered specific assaults on staff, staff and patients disagree. Staff members usually say that symptoms of psychosis led to the assault, whereas patients usually say aversive interactions with staf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological services 2010-08, Vol.7 (3), p.177-189
Main Authors: Newbill, William A, Marth, Dean, Coleman, James C, Menditto, Anthony A, Carson, Sarah J, Beck, Niels C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assault
Aversive
Coding
Discrepancies
Female
Human
Inpatient
Male
Mental Health Personnel
Observation Methods
Patient Violence
Psychiatric Hospitals
Psychiatric Patients
Psychological Distance
Risk Factors
Schizophrenia
Symptoms
Therapeutic Processes
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Summary:Staff members in psychiatric hospitals are frequently assaulted by patients. When asked what events triggered specific assaults on staff, staff and patients disagree. Staff members usually say that symptoms of psychosis led to the assault, whereas patients usually say aversive interactions with staff triggered the incident. For years, experts have called for direct observational research to address this issue and possibly resolve the discrepancy found in the verbal-report data. Over 26,000 hr of direct observational coding of staff activities, including staff-patient interactions, was collected across 10 years by independent, noninteractive raters on Social Learning Program units. Eight of nine kinds of aversive staff-patient interactions occurred more frequently among staff members who had been assaulted. One possible interpretation of these data is that aversive interactions lead to assaults on staff, but other possibilities must be considered. Practical recommendations for reducing likelihood of assault are detailed.
ISSN:1541-1559
1939-148X
DOI:10.1037/a0020005