The 12-Month Prevalence of Patient-Initiated Aggression against Psychiatrists: A New Zealand National Survey

Abstract

Objectives: We surveyed the prevalence of various types of threats or assaults by patients against psychiatrists and determined the impact of the most distressing event. Method: An anonymous questionnaire was mailed to all 308 vocationally registered psychiatrists practicing in New Zealand. Results: A response rate of 63.9% ( n = 197) was obtained. In the preceding 12 months, as many as 46% ( n = 89) of respondents had been verbally threatened and 39% ( n = 76) had been physically intimidated by patients. In addition 16% ( n = 32) had been assaulted without requiring medical attention, 14% ( n = 27) had been harassed through formal complaint mechanisms, 10% ( n = 20) had been sexually harassed, and 5% ( n = 9) had been stalked. As indicated by responses on the Impact of Event Scale, only one-third of the psychiatrists had any symptoms related to the most distressing event and only two had symptoms that might be associated with clinically significant levels of distress. Conclusions: The prevalence of these events suggest a need for the development and evaluation of preventive interventions.