Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-995ml Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T12:32:03.981Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Management of psychiatric in-patient violence in the Anglia region

Implications for record-keeping, staff training and victim support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. H. Dowson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Box 189, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ
J. Butler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Box 189, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ
O. Williams
Affiliation:
Institute of Public Health, Cambridge
*
Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Aims and method

A total of 384 incidents of violence against the person (six ‘serious' and 378 ‘mild’), by adult in-patients in general psychiatric units (GPUs) and learning disability units (LDUs) in 10 National Health Service trusts in the Anglia region, were evaluated by Interviews with staff and examination of records.

Results

The findings, when compared with standards derived from previous recommendations, showed deficiencies in the documentation of incidents (there was no satisfactory written record of physical restraint for 97% of incidents in GPUs and 86% in LDUs), in the training of staff in ‘control and restraint’ procedures (If two or more staff were involved In physical restraint, for 3% of incidents in GPUs and 100% in LDUs, the staff had received no training within the previous 12 months) and in policies for victim support (there was no written policy that included procedures for victim support in relation to 84% of incidents in GPUs and 44% in LDUs).

Clinical implications

Trusts should consider reviewing their policies on the prevention and management of violence, particularly in relation to staff training.

Type
Original Papers
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Atakan, Z. (1995) Violence on psychiatric in-patient units: what can be done? Psychiatric Bulletin, 19, 593 595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haller, R. & Deluty, R. (1988) Assaults on staff by psychiatric in-patients: a critical review. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 174 179.Google Scholar
Kaye, R., Wolkenfeld, F. & Murrill, L. M. (1988) Profile of aggression among psychiatric patients. Journal of Nervous and Menial Disease, 176, 539 546.Google Scholar
Lodge, G. J. (1997) Assessing the risk of violent behaviour. Psychiatric Bulletin, 21, 703 706.Google Scholar
Mortimer, A. (1995) Reducing violence on a secure ward. Psychiatric Bulletin, 19, 605 608.Google Scholar
Powell, G., Caan, W. & Crowe, M. (1994) What events precede violent incidents in psychiatric hospitals? British Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 107 112.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1995) Strategies for the Management of Disturbed and Violent Patients in Psychiatric Units, Council Report CR41. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1998) Management of Imminent Violence, Occasional Paper OP41. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
Thomas, C., Bartlett, A. & Mezey, G. C. (1995) The extent and effects of violence among psychiatric in-patients. Psychiatric Bulletin, 19, 600 604.Google Scholar
Walker, Z. & Siefert, R. (1994) Violent incidents in a psychiatric intensive-care unit. British Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 826 828.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.