Characteristics of four types of patient assaults: six year analysis of the Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP)

Although psychiatric patient assaults may include physical and sexual assaults, nonverbal intimidation, and verbal threats, most studies of assaultive psychiatric patients to date have grouped all assaults together in one category. This study explored differences in patient assailant variables and staff victim variables in each of the four categories of patient assault during a six-year period. These differential analyses of assault types yielded at least three important findings: the presence of significant numbers of females as both assailants and victims in several categories of assaults, the importance of psychological fright in staff victims, and the serious psychological disruptions found in staff victims of physical, sexual, and verbal assaults. The findings are discussed and the implications for health care safety and emergency mental health are noted.