Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0487
ISSN: 2161-0487
Sreevani Rentala
Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Background: Mental illness and violence are often seen in today's society as being inseparably connected, creating a harsh negative perception for patients and, at times, an uncomfortable environment for mental health professionals. Patient, ward, and staff variables may interact to cause or exacerbate aggression in persons with mental illness. Purpose: The present study examined the level of aggression and its association among persons with mental illness at the emergency unit of a selected psychiatric hospital, India. Methods: A descriptive observational design with event sampling method was used to collect the data from fifty-five patients admitted in an emergency psychiatric ward with mental illness who exhibited aggression were considered for the study. Using Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) the data were collected from December 2017 to June 2018 for 6 months. Patient, staff and ward related factors influencing aggressive behavior were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Results: Among 55 patients 66 incidences were observed with some of them had more than one incidence. Most incidences occurred soon after admission. The largest proportion (n= 38, 69%) of patients had a severe level of aggressive behavior ranging from 16-22 in SOAS-R score. Further there was a significant association found between gender, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, staff-patient ratio, ward milieu and the number of patients’ caregivers with levels of aggression. Implications: Psychiatric nurses need to know the factors associate with aggressive behavior in ward setting to prevent further occurrences of aggressive behavior among patients. Keywords: Aggression; Incidence; Patient Factor; Staff Factor; Ward Factor; Mentally Ill Patients
Sreevani Rentala has completed her Ph.D in Nursing and M.Sc in Psychiatric Nursing . She is the Professor at DIMHANS, Dharwad, Karnataka, India. She has more than 12 years of working experience in mental health care settings as a nurse educator and psychiatric nurse expert. She has published Published 30 research articles in reputed journals and Presented 23 scientific papers in National and International Conferences.