Despite great improvement in service delivery, patient violence remains a major problem at mental health facilities. Focusing equally on causes, management, and prevention, this groundbreaking book represents the state of knowledge on this crucial topic.
Violence in Mental Health Settings brings together salient theories, valuable data, and real-world interventions in one accessible volume. The contributors include psychiatrists, nurses, researchers, and academics (many affiliated with the European Violence in Psychiatry Research Group), offering an integrative context for understanding patient aggression and identifying areas where research is lacking. Chapters review the latest theories of violence, proven prevention strategies, and examples of positive organizational change. Practical highlights include:
-Assessing and measuring risk: self- versus other-reporting scales
-How the ward environment can contribute to violence - or its prevention
-Best practice guidelines for verbal, physical, and pharmaceutical interventions
-Training issues and course development in violence management
-Professional coping after patient attacks
-Developing a non-violent culture at the institutional level
Throughout, the material is illustrated liberally with graphs and clinical case examples, and coverage bridges the patient-rights and zero-tolerance ends of the spectrum.
Therapists, nurses, social workers, and counselors in hospitals and other inpatient and community facilities will find Violence in Mental Health Settings a source of vital insights and ideas for future policy. Regardless of one's setting or specialty, the authors share a critical aim with their readers: a safer and more humane experience.
Violence in Mental Health Settings brings together salient theories, valuable data, and real-world interventions in one accessible volume. The contributors include psychiatrists, nurses, researchers, and academics (many affiliated with the European Violence in Psychiatry Research Group), offering an integrative context for understanding patient aggression and identifying areas where research is lacking. Chapters review the latest theories of violence, proven prevention strategies, and examples of positive organizational change. Practical highlights include:
-Assessing and measuring risk: self- versus other-reporting scales
-How the ward environment can contribute to violence - or its prevention
-Best practice guidelines for verbal, physical, and pharmaceutical interventions
-Training issues and course development in violence management
-Professional coping after patient attacks
-Developing a non-violent culture at the institutional level
Throughout, the material is illustrated liberally with graphs and clinical case examples, and coverage bridges the patient-rights and zero-tolerance ends of the spectrum.
Therapists, nurses, social workers, and counselors in hospitals and other inpatient and community facilities will find Violence in Mental Health Settings a source of vital insights and ideas for future policy. Regardless of one's setting or specialty, the authors share a critical aim with their readers: a safer and more humane experience.
Violence in Mental Health Settings includes brief but critical reviews of theoretical explanations of violence and places an important emphasis on the interpersonal interactions and environments that can lead to violence, emphasizing that violence is not something that comes solely from the patient - something we all often forget... the book considers perspectives from both service users and healthcare providers, and considers issues that we all currently face, such as 'security versus care.' It includes suggestions for improvement in recording violence and general problems with this, NICE guidelines on seclusion and restraint, pharmacological management, organizational management, and the effects of violence. It includes practical recommendations and will be useful to anyone working in an inpatient setting. It takes a critical stance on what we are still lacking in order to make our mental health services a safer place for staff and service users. -Sarah Gladden, Ph.D., Three Bridges, Regional Secure Unit, part of West London Mental Health NHS Trust, Book Review for The Psychologist (Vol. 20, October 2007)
From the reviews:
"Violence in Mental Health Settings, is aimed at educating the reader in research into violence in mental health settings and does so very well. ... It includes practical recommendations and will be useful to anyone working in an impatient setting. ... If you read ... you will get a good overall view of where to start in dealing with violence and managing future risk of violence." (Dr. Sarah Gladden, The Psychologist, October, 2007)
"This edited text brings together many well-known authors, giving a truly international flavour to the subject matter. ... It gives the reader a wealth of evidence in relation to theories, interventions and data on violence in mental heath settings. The depth and detail of this text is a strength ... . Individual chapters are extremely informative ... . editors make the claim that this text is aimed at therapists, nurses, social workers and counsellors. ... should be read by those looking to develop future policy." (Tracey Cassidy, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007)
"Violence in Mental Health Settings, is aimed at educating the reader in research into violence in mental health settings and does so very well. ... It includes practical recommendations and will be useful to anyone working in an impatient setting. ... If you read ... you will get a good overall view of where to start in dealing with violence and managing future risk of violence." (Dr. Sarah Gladden, The Psychologist, October, 2007)
"This edited text brings together many well-known authors, giving a truly international flavour to the subject matter. ... It gives the reader a wealth of evidence in relation to theories, interventions and data on violence in mental heath settings. The depth and detail of this text is a strength ... . Individual chapters are extremely informative ... . editors make the claim that this text is aimed at therapists, nurses, social workers and counsellors. ... should be read by those looking to develop future policy." (Tracey Cassidy, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007)