Upplevelsen av hot och våld : En kvalitativ studie med personal som arbetar på barn och ungdomspsykiatrisk akutmottagning

The aim of the study was to examine individual staff experience and management of threats and violence in the acute psychiatric department for children and teenagers in Uppsala. Previous research shows that the experience of threats and/or violence is individual, and that it is difficult to distinguish between these concepts. Research shows that it is particularly vulnerable to work in psychiatry when mental illness is a cause when threats and violence occurs. Threats and violence can result in different consequences for the individual. The study is based on qualitative interviews and the material was collected in the autumn of 2012 at Akademiska sjukhuset. The qualitative interviews was transcribed and carefully analyzed. The result had an outcome in four different themes: The diffuse definition between threats and violence that showed how difficult it is to define threats and violence. Causes and staff reaction showed that mental illness, how you treat someone and compulsive cares are contributing factors to threats and violence occurs. This theme also shows ambivalence within the staff, that the behavior is unacceptable meanwhile he or she is mentally ill. Management and reporting showed that the staff has different coping strategies when they deal with threats and violence and that it is different how functional the reporting is. The theme working environment showed that it is a vulnerable environment to work in. Therefore, it is important to get support from colleagues and managers but the staff has different opinions whether they feel supported from managers. There is a need to develop routines for incidents when threats and/or violence have occurred. Keywords: Threats, Violence, Staffs experience, Child and adolescent psychiatry, Cause