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Aggression and violence towards healthcare workers in a psychiatric service in Italy. A retrospective questionnaire-based survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

D. Piacentino ,
S. Moser ,
S. Tosato ,
C. Bonetto ,
A. Conca  and
J.V. Bizzarri
D. Piacentino
Affiliation:
Psychiatric department, San Maurizio hospital, sanitary agency of South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy NESMOS department (neurosciences, mental health, and sensory organs), Sapienza university of Rome, school of medicine and psychology, Sant’Andrea hospital, Rome, Italy
S. Moser
Affiliation:
Psychiatric department, San Maurizio hospital, sanitary agency of South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
S. Tosato
Affiliation:
Department of public health and community medicine, section of psychiatry, university of Verona, Verona, Italy
C. Bonetto
Affiliation:
Department of public health and community medicine, section of psychiatry, university of Verona, Verona, Italy
A. Conca
Affiliation:
Psychiatric department, San Maurizio hospital, sanitary agency of South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy Provincial service of developmental psychiatry and psychotherapy, sanitary agency of South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
J.V. Bizzarri
Affiliation:
Psychiatric department, San Maurizio hospital, sanitary agency of South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy

Abstract

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Introduction

Violence at work is a major concern in healthcare services. Prevention programs have been implemented, albeit being scarce in Italy.

Objectives or Aims

The Bolzano psychiatric department adopted a de-escalation model developed by the Institut-für-Professionelles-Deeskalations-Management (ProDeMa®). It includes evaluation, prevention, and practical training aimed at preventing/reducing patients’ aggressive behavior toward healthcare workers.

Methods

In 2015, health professionals were interviewed by using a ProDeMa® 11-item questionnaire that assessed the type and frequency of endured patients’ aggressive behavior, as well as the conditions capable of producing or preventing it. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test was used for comparisons.

Results

A total of 165/211 (78%) surveyed workers (mean age ± DE = 44.9 ± 7.7; females = 64.6%) completed the questionnaire, of whom 21% employed at the inpatients unit (INP), 37% at the outpatients unit (OUTP), 42% at the rehabilitation facility (REHAB). The one-year number of verbal aggressions (VA) was 9766, with INP (mean ± SD = 15.2 ± 29.6) vs. OUTP (mean ± SD = 6.2 ± 30.6) vs. REHAB (mean ± SD = 8.4 ± 26.1). The one-year number of physical aggressions (PA) was 1502, with INP (mean ± SD = 3.3 ± 12.2) vs. OUTP (mean ± SD = 0.1 ± 0.5) vs. REHAB (mean ± SD = 0.1 ± 0.7). The one-year number of injuries (IN) was 200, with INP (mean ± SD = 0.5 ± 1.9) vs. OUTP (mean ± SD = 0.1 ± 0.5) vs. REHAB (mean ± SD = 0.1 ± 0.2). ANOVA showed significant differences in terms of mean verbal/physical aggression and injuries among the three workplaces (P-values = 0.000), with post-hoc Tukey test showing a significant difference of INP vs. REHAB and OUTP. The most frequent risk factors identified by the staff for precipitating aggression included rigid rules (15.1%) and inadequate communication (9.1%).

Conclusions

The three types of violence are common in all facilities of our Department.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
e-Poster Walk: Ethics and psychiatry/Philosophy and psychiatry/Others–Part 1
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. S333 - S3334
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
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