General Health Questionnaire and Impact of Events Scale scores were

AND METHOD To determine psychological morbidity among staff following actual or threatened violence from patients on acute psychiatric wards. A retrospective survey of all 156 clinical staff on Exeter’s acute psychiatric wards was conducted by means of an anonymous questionnaire using standardised measures. RESULTS The response rate was 81%, and 72% of respondents had experienced one or more distressing incidents of actual or threatened violence within the previous year. The 12-ite