Citation

Al Ali S, Pihl-Thingvad J, Elklit A. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00420-020-01586-7

PMID

33051773

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Psychiatric staff is at risk of workplace violence (WV) and subsequent posttraumatic symptomatology. The current study assesses the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in psychiatric staff following WV. This also examines the prospective association between ASD and PTSD.

METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of staff from 18 psychiatric wards in Denmark (n = 250), that reported an incident of workplace violence.

RESULTS: The prevalence of ASD was 10.8%, while 8% had PTSD 3 months post-assault. Generalized linear mixed models showed a significant predictive power of ASD on PTSD (OR 8.45, p < 0.001) in the fully adjusted model.

CONCLUSIONS: ASD seems to be a predictor of future PTSD in an occupational context and should be considered a possible instrument in enactment of preventive strategies.

Language: en

Keywords

Psychiatry; PTSD; Occupational health; Workplace violence