Abstract
Patient assaults on staff have been a continuing risk for inpatient and community-based psychiatric healthcare providers. This study presents a ten-year analysis of the characteristics of staff victims of patient assaults in one public mental health system of care, a period which included the transition to managed care initiatives within this system. Assault data was gathered within the context of the Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP), a voluntary, system-wide, peer-help, crisis intervention program that is designed to assist employees with the psychological sequelae of these patient events. In general, the findings were consistent with previously reported inpatient and community studies. Less experienced, less formally trained employees remain at high risk. The impact of managed care initiatives was found in community residences where younger female staff were most at risk. The implications of the findings and possible risk management strategies are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
National Research Council: Understanding and Preventing Violence. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1993.
Warhol G:Workplace Violence, 1992-1996. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report #168634. Washington, DC, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1998.
Strauss MA, Gelles RJ: Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families. Edited with assistance of Christine Smith.New Brunswick, NJ, Transactions Publishers, 1992.
Dobrin A, Wiersema B, Loftin C, et al: Statistical Handbook of Violence in America.Phoenix, AZ, Ornyx Press, 1996.
Flannery RB Jr: Violence in the Workplace. New York, Crossroad Publishing, 1995.
American Psychiatric Association: Clinician Safety. Task force report #33. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press, 1992.
Davis S: Violence in psychiatric patients: A review. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 42:585–590, 1991.
Eichelman BS, Hartwig AC (Eds.): Patient violence and the clinician. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press, 1995.
Flannery RB Jr, Hanson ME, Penk WE: Risk factors for psychiatric inpatient assaults on staff. Journal of Mental Health Administration 21: 24–31, 1994.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Guidelines for Preventing Violence in Health Care and Social Service Workers. Publication #3148. Washington, DC, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Flannery RB Jr: Assaultive patients in community residences: Review of findings and implications for health care safety. Journal of Healthcare Safety, Compliance, and Infection Control, 2000, in press.
Flannery RB Jr: The Assaulted Staff Action Program: Coping with the Psychological Aftermath of Violence. Ellicott City, MD, Chevron Publishing Corporation, 1998.
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.Fourth Edition. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press, 1994.
Bryant RA, Harvey, AG: Acute stress disorder: A critical review of diagnostic issues.Clinical Psychology Review 17:757–773, 1997.
Lion JR, Snyder W, Merrill GC: Underreporting of assaults on staff in a state hospital. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 32:497–498, 1981.
van der Kolk BA, McFarlane C, Weisaeth L (Eds.): Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society. New York, NY, Guilford,1996.
Pennebaker JW: Opening Up. New York, Avon, 1990.
Caldwell ME: The incidence of PTSD among staff victims of patient violence. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 43:586–588, 1992.
Everly GS Jr, Flannery RB Jr, Mitchell JT: Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM): A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal 5:23–40, 2000.
Findorff MJ, McGovern PM, Roznan J, Gerberich SG: The cost of violence to health care workers. Journal of Healthcare Safety, Compliance, and Infection Control 4:209–217, 2000.
Flannery RB Jr: Postincident crisis intervention: A risk management strategy for preventing workplace violence. Stress Medicine 16:229–232, 2000.
Flannery RB Jr, Anderson E, Marks L, Uzoma LL: The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP) and declines in rates of assault: Mixed replicated findings. Psychiatric Quarterly 71:165–175, 2000.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers. Washington, DC, U.S. Department of Labor, 1996.
Parsons HM: What caused the Hawthorne Effect? A scientific detective story. Administration and Society 10:259–283, 1978.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flannery, R.B., Stone, P., Rego, S. et al. Characteristics of Staff Victims of Patient Assault: Ten Year Analysis of the Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP). Psychiatr Q 72, 237–248 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010349015108
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010349015108