Staff and patient perceptions of prevention of inpatient aggression
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Staff and patient perceptions of the prevention of inpatient aggression ward climate in secure mental health services
IRAS ID
122137
Contact name
Geoff Dickens
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St Andrew's Healthcare
Research summary
Aggressive and violent behaviour by inpatients in mental health settings has far reaching consequences, including psychological and physical negative effects on staff and patients, lengthening inpatient stay, and direct and indirect financial costs. For this reason, the prevention of inpatient violence and aggression is a priority for services. Social cognitive theory has shown that there is a dynamic interaction between the environment and those individuals in it, and this is particularly pertinent to psychiatric inpatients. The factors involved in the prevention of inpatient violence and aggression can be said to make up the violence prevention climate of inpatient settings.
This study will develop a scale that measures the violence prevention climate, which can be used with staff and patients. This scale will be used for comparison between staff and patient groups, and comparison between different wards, but will not be used for individual analysis. Items for the scale will be developed using a range of techniques: patient focus groups, staff interviews, a staff survey and a literature review. Focus group participants will be invited to participate from St Andrew’s, and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) secure mental health services. Once items have been selected, a pilot study will be undertaken to test the reliability and validity of the scale. Participants for this will be invited from one randomly selected ward at St Andrew’s. Any amendments identified by the pilot study will be made to the scale to produce a final version. In the concluding part of this study, all staff and patients from St Andrew’s and BSMHFT secure mental health services who meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be invited to complete the scale. Factor analysis will be used to explore factors of the scale, and statistical analysis will be used to compare groups / wards.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EM/0221
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion