NCJ Number
195960
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 221-229
Date Published
2002
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article examines stalking, threatening, and harassing behavior by psychiatric patients toward clinicians.
Abstract
Staff at an urban, university-based psychiatric inpatient unit were surveyed regarding their experience of aggressive behavior against them by patients. They were also asked their opinion about the effectiveness of strategies used in managing patients who engaged in such behavior, which staff often rated as upsetting and disruptive. Although severe cases are relatively rare, milder forms of stalking, threatening, and harassing behavior (STHB) are experienced by a substantial proportion of clinicians and have significant adverse consequences. The article presents several management strategies along with case vignettes that illustrate their implementation. Patients who stalked clinicians did so because they felt misunderstood, wronged, or mistreated. Findings suggest there is no panacea for managing STHB by patients. Although the strategy was rarely used by staff members in this study, some participants suggested the potential utility of involving the legal system. In sum, this study suggests that a substantial proportion of hospital staff members are at risk at some time in their careers of becoming the targets of STHB by patients. Tables, references