Attitudes toward dementia-related aggression among staff in Japanese aged care settings.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated attitudes of Japanese aged care staff toward aggression by people with dementia. Relationships between staff attitudes, professional characteristics and clinical practice were explored.


BACKGROUND
Aggressive behaviour is often demonstrated by people with dementia and may be influenced by many factors including an inability by the individual to appropriately express their needs, difficulties with assessment, as well as organisational and practice issues.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
Twenty-seven facilities/organisations located in the western and middle parts of Japan were surveyed. Staff (n = 675) employed in these facilities provided personal and professional information and completed the Attitudes Towards Aggression Scale.


RESULTS
Staff who were older, had more clinical experience, higher education and/or a higher position reported more positive attitudes towards patient aggression. Staff with negative attitudes towards patients who are aggressive reported using chemical and/or physical restraint more often than staff with positive attitudes.


CONCLUSIONS
Dementia education as well as restraint policy will be useful in addressing negative staff attitudes, in particular it may help to reverse the myth that restraint is necessary for staff protection. Furthermore, staff counseling may help to reduce stressors and to change staff negative attitudes towards people with dementia who display aggression.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings show that negative staff attitudes may adversely affect clinical decision making and patient care. Measuring attitudes can identify areas requiring education or skill development and enable changes in attitudes to be monitored over time.
Nakahira
Miwa
M
Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Moyle
Wendy
W
Creedy
Debra
D
Hitomi
Hiroe
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009732:Nursing Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D055815:Young Adult