title: Characteristics of aggression among psychiatric inpatients by ward type in Japan: Using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised (SOAS-R).
abstract: Aggressive behaviour by psychiatric patients is a serious issue in clinical practice, and adequate management of such behaviour is required, with careful evaluation of the factors causing the aggression. To examine the characteristics of aggressive incidents by ward type, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted for 6 months between April 2012 and June 2013 using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised, Japanese version (SOAS-R) in 30 wards across 20 Japanese psychiatric hospitals. Participating wards were categorized into three types based on the Japanese medical reimbursement system: emergency psychiatric, acute psychiatric, and standard wards (common in Japan, mostly treating non-acute patients). On analyzing the 443 incidents reported, results showed significant differences in SOAS-R responses by ward type. In acute and emergency psychiatric wards, staff members were the most common target of aggression. In acute psychiatric wards, staff requiring patients to take medication was the most common provocation, and verbal aggression was the most commonly used means. In emergency psychiatric wards, victims felt threatened. In contrast, in standard wards, both the target and provocation of aggression were most commonly other patients, hands were used, victims reported experiencing physical pain, and seclusion was applied to stop their behaviour. These findings suggest that ward environment was an important factor influencing aggressive behaviour. Ensuring the quality and safety of psychiatric care requires understanding the characteristics of incidents that staff are likely to encounter in each ward type, as well as implementing efforts to deal with the incidents adequately and improve the treatment environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.|Fukkokai Foundation, Numazu Chuo Hospital, Numazu, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.|Fukkokai Foundation, Numazu Chuo Hospital, Numazu, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.affiliation: Japanese Psychiatric Nurses Association, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yoshihama
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.|Japanese Psychiatric Nurses Association, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Michi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: SOAS-R; aggression; prevalence; psychiatric patients; ward environment