Perceptions of patient aggression in psychiatric hospitals: a qualitative study using focus groups with nurses, patients, and informal caregivers

Table 4 Comparison of themes among nurses, patients, and informal caregivers

	Nurses	Patients	Informal caregivers
Aggressive events
*Type of aggression*
Physical aggression	X	X	X
Verbal aggression	X	X	X
Threat	X	X	X
*Target of aggression*
People	X	X	X
Objects	X	X	X
The patient themselves	X	X	X
Reasons for patient aggression
Unstable mental status	X	X	X
Unmet needs	X	X	X
Social conflicts	X	X	X
No clear reason	X	X
Consequences of patient aggression
*Action*
Seeking help	X	X	X
Controlling	X	X	X
Calming down	X	X	X
*Burdening*
Physical burden	X	X
Psychological burden	X	X	X
Development areas for future
Communication	X	X	X
Structural changes	X	X	X
Restrictive interventions	X	X	X
Self-management	X	X	X
Assessment	X	X
Creative activities		X	X
Safety measures	X		X

A tick (X) indicates the specific theme is present in the data among a specific group

ISSN: 1471-244X