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Violent Incidents in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Zuzana Walker  and
Ruth Seifert
Zuzana Walker*
Affiliation:
University College London and Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow
Ruth Seifert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, St Bartholomew's Hospital, 61 Bartholomew's Close, London EC1A 7BE
*
∗Princess Alexandra Hospital, Hamstel Road, Harlow, Essex CM20 1QX
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Abstract

A prospective study was undertaken of physical assaults over six months in a newly opened psychiatric intensive care unit. There were 58 admissions of 48 patients, and 37 assaults, three against other patients, and 34 against nursing and medical staff. Features which correlated with committing assault were a criminal record and previous drug abuse. Assaults occurred most frequently during the week, at times when staff were actively involved with the patients.

Type
Short papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 164 , Issue 6 , June 1994 , pp. 826 - 828
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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