Prevalence, Factors, and Outcome of Physical Violence against Mental Health Professionals at a Nigerian Psychiatric Hospital

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence, factors, and consequences of physical violence by mentally ill patients against mental health professionals. METHODS: 124 of 145 mental health professionals at a Nigerian neuropsychiatric hospital satisfactorily completed a questionnaire on their experiences with physical assault. RESULTS: 77 (62.1%) staff had been assaulted during their whole career; 38 (30.6%) of them were assaulted in the past 12 months. The most common type of assault was pushing (32.9%). The most common antecedent event to assault was calming an aggressive patient (44.1%). In their whole career, 22.1% of assaulted staff sustained injuries that required medical attention; 42.4% of assaulted staff sometimes or frequently/always experienced posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Physical assault in the whole career was associated with older age (p = 0.04), longer years of practice (p = 0.01), and job dissatisfaction (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Physical violence encountered by mental health professionals at a Nigerian neuropsychiatric hospital is substantial. Policy review of staff safety, training, and support is recommended.