An investigations into patients perceptions of contributing factors toward their aggressive and violent behavior after admission to a mental health Facility"
Loading...
Date
2006
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Aggressive and violent behaviour in inpatient mental health facilities is found world-wide and is a frequent and serious clinical and nursing care problem (Duxbury,
2002:325). Despite the importance of international research findings and
recommendations, it appears that patients' perceptions of the possible contributing
factors toward aggressive and violent behaviour in mental health facilities is an area
of enquiry that has not been widely explored in South Africa in general, or in the
Westem Cape, in particular.
It is against this background, using the theoretical framework of Duxbury (2002), that
this study endeavoured to investigate the external and situational contributing to
patients' aggressive and violent behaviour in mental health facilities in Cape Town,
as seen from patients' perspectives.
A qualitative research design was used in this study as it focused on patients'
perceptions of possible contributing factors toward their aggressive and violent
behaviour. A sample of 40 patients was selected from eligible patients admitted to the
pre-discharged wards of Lentegeur and Valkenberg mental health facilities between
January 2004 and June 2004.
Data was collected by tape-recording interviews using a semi-structured interview
schedule at a time acceptable to the patients. A thematic analysis was utilized
according to the theoretical framework of external and situational models of possible
contributing factors of inpatient aggressive and violent behaviour.
The study concluded that the occurrence of aggressive and violent behaviour disrupts
the therapeutic alliance. If mental health facilities want to be of optimal benefit to
patients, it is required that activities should be restructured and certain nursing staff
should change their attitudes. Planning and upgrading efforts require a holistic
approach, obtaining and integrating input from a wide range of sector, as well as
ensuring nursing staff compliance with suggested changes. Moreover, preventing and
lll
controlling aggressive and violent behaviour amongst inpatients should be a key
innovation in the operation of all mental health facilities. Results of this study
indicated that there is a need for interventions that will enable staff to deal effectively
with situations that may precipitate anger and assault.
Description
Magister Curationis - MCur
Keywords
Mental Health Care Act, Mental Illness, Mental health facility, Patient factors, External factors