Citation

Dubin WR. Hosp. Community Psychiatry 1989; 40(12): 1280-1283.

Affiliation

Philadelphia Psychiatric Center, Pennsylvania 19131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2687150

Abstract

Over the past decade the management of aggression on psychiatric units has generally focused on pharmacologic and physical interventions rather than on psychodynamic concerns. The author reviews the dynamics of violence and discusses how clinical staff's fantasies, countertransferences, and psychological defenses may interact to trigger patient aggression. Interventions that address these issues with staff include developing a cohesive treatment team in which clinical staff can express their feelings without the need to explore the psychodynamic underpinnings, having clinical leaders maintain a strong presence on the unit to serve as role models, and providing regular inservice training.

Language: en