Marilyn Lanza1, Marilyn Ridenour2, Scott Hendricks2, Jill Rierdan3, Robert Zeiss4, Satu Schmidt5, Jeff Lovelace5, Harlan Amandus6. 1. Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA. Electronic address: marilyn.lanza@va.gov. 2. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV. 3. University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA. 4. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC. 5. Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA. 6. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Morgantown, WV.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The Violence Prevention Community Meeting (VPCM) is a specialized form of community meeting in which avoiding violence and promoting non-violent problem solving and interpersonal civility are focal points. A nationwide study to assess the VPCM as an effective intervention to reduce workplace violence was undertaken. PARTICIPANTS: Seven acute locked psychiatric units of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) throughout the United States participated in the study. METHODS: All patients and all staff on the seven in-patient locked psychiatry units participated in the intervention (VPCM) or as a control (treatment as usual). The study was 21weeks at each site. The three time periods were pre-treatment weeks 1-3, treatment weeks 4-18, and post-treatment weeks 19-21. The VPCM was conducted during the treatment weeks. RESULTS: Overall rates of aggression declined by 0.6% (95% CI: -5.6%, 6.5%; nonsignificant) per week in the intervention hospitals and by 5.1% (95% CI: 0.4%, 9.6%; significant) per week for the control hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Aggression decreased for both the intervention and control hospitals which could be due to enrollment in a research study and thus being more aware of their ability to address workplace violence at their site. Published by Elsevier Inc.
OBJECTIVE: The Violence Prevention Community Meeting (VPCM) is a specialized form of community meeting in which avoiding violence and promoting non-violent problem solving and interpersonal civility are focal points. A nationwide study to assess the VPCM as an effective intervention to reduce workplace violence was undertaken. PARTICIPANTS: Seven acute locked psychiatric units of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) throughout the United States participated in the study. METHODS: All patients and all staff on the seven in-patient locked psychiatry units participated in the intervention (VPCM) or as a control (treatment as usual). The study was 21weeks at each site. The three time periods were pre-treatment weeks 1-3, treatment weeks 4-18, and post-treatment weeks 19-21. The VPCM was conducted during the treatment weeks. RESULTS: Overall rates of aggression declined by 0.6% (95% CI: -5.6%, 6.5%; nonsignificant) per week in the intervention hospitals and by 5.1% (95% CI: 0.4%, 9.6%; significant) per week for the control hospitals. CONCLUSIONS:Aggression decreased for both the intervention and control hospitals which could be due to enrollment in a research study and thus being more aware of their ability to address workplace violence at their site. Published by Elsevier Inc.