title: An audit of the use of breakaway techniques in a large psychiatric hospital: a replication study.
abstract: This paper describes an audit study of the effectiveness of breakaway training conducted in a specialist inpatient mental health hospital. Breakaway techniques comprise a set of physical skills to help separate or break away from an aggressor in a safe manner, but do not involve the use of restraint. Staff (n= 147) were assessed on their ability to break away from simulations of potentially life-threatening scenarios in a timely manner, and using the techniques taught in annual breakaway or refresher training. We found that only 14% (21/147) of participants correctly used the taught techniques to break away within 10 s. However, 80% of people were able to break away from the scenarios within 10 s but did not use the techniques taught to them. This audit reinforces questions about breakaway training raised in a previous study. It further demonstrates the need for a national curriculum for physical intervention training and development of the evidence base for the content of such training as a priority.
authors.affiliation: St Andrew's Academic Centre, Kings College London Institute of Psychiatry, UK. gdickens@standrew.co.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dickens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rooney
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mc Guinness
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doyle
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004496:Education, Continuing; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009731:Nursing Audit; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control; D006113:United Kingdom