Italian Version of the Hospital Aggressive Behaviour Scale-Users: Initial Psychometric Evaluation among Hospital Healthcare Professionals

Author:

Cavallari Elena1,Setti Ilaria1,Curcuruto Matteo2ORCID,Gremita Cristina3,Sommovigo Valentina4ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Unit of Applied Psychology, Department of Brain and Behavioral Science, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy

2. Department of Human Sciences, European University of Rome, 00163 Rome, Italy

3. ATS Pavia, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy

4. Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00163 Rome, Italy

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals frequently encounter various forms of aggression, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults, which can compromise both their occupational well-being and patient-care quality. Despite its prevalence and serious consequences, workplace aggression is often underreported due to a lack of standardized assessment tools. This study aims to develop a valid Italian version of the Hospital Aggressive Behaviour Scale-Users. Methods: The scale’s structure was evaluated using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses on two samples of healthcare professionals during and after the pandemic. Reliability, measurement invariance, and nomological validity were examined. Results: EFA revealed a two-factor structure comprising eight items (χ2 = 59.651, df = 13, p = 0.00; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.07; SRMR = 0.02), distinguishing non-physical and physical aggression, and meeting all recommended criteria. CFA confirmed this structure, demonstrating good reliability and outperforming alternative models. The same factor structure was confirmed in standard (χ2 = 35.01, df = 19, p = 0.00; CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.03; SRMR = 0.02) and emergency (χ2 = 30.65, df = 19, p = 0.04; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.06; SRMR = 0.04) contexts. Full residual invariance was found across job tenure groups. Aggression was positively associated with emotional exhaustion, psychological distance, psychosomatic symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and turnover intentions while negatively related to job satisfaction. Nurses and healthcare assistants reported higher levels of aggression than doctors. Conclusions: This study provides a reliable, context-specific instrument for documenting and analysing outsider aggression. The insights can inform targeted interventions, contributing to a healthier hospital environment.

Funder

Next Generation EU Program

Publisher

MDPI AG

Reference86 articles.

1. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (2024, July 17). Violence Occupational Hazards in Hospitals, Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2002-101/default.html#print.

2. Occupational Violence and Aggression Experienced by Nursing and Caring Professionals;Shea;J. Nurs. Scholarsh.,2017

3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024, July 17). Workplace Violence in Healthcare, Available online: https://www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm.

4. Preventing Patient-to-worker Violence in Hospitals: Outcome of a Randomized Controlled Intervention;Arnetz;J. Occup. Environ. Med.,2017

5. Niu, S.F., Kuo, S.F., Tsai, H.T., Kao, C.C., Traynor, V., and Chou, K.R. (2019). Prevalence of workplace violent episodes experienced by nurses in acute psychiatric settings. PLoS ONE, 14.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3