Violence in Mental Health Settings

Despite improvements in service delivery, patient violence remains a major problem at mental health facilities. Focusing equally on causes, management, and prevention, this groundbreaking book thoroughly examines this crucial topic. The book reviews the latest theories of violence, proven prevention strategies, and examples of positive organizational change. The material is illustrated with graphs and clinical case examples, and coverage spans the range from patient rights to zero-tolerance.

Richard Whittington, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the School of Health Sciences, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. He is a psychologist and researcher with a background as a mental health nurse in intensive care and general acute psychiatric settings. He has published widely on the psychological and social causes and effects of aggression in mental health care. Current projects include systematic reviews of risk assessment and interventions in forensic mental health funded by the UK NHS R&D programme.

Dirk Richter, PhD, nurse (with working experience in mental health) and sociologist, currently researcher and quality manager at Westphalian Hospital in Muenster, Germany, and associate professor ('Privatdozent') at the Institute of Sociology, University of Muenster. In German, Dirk Richter has authored and edited three books on violence in health care. He has co-authored a widely spread booklet on conflict management in psychiatric settings and has written several research papers and book chapters on the topic. Dirk Richter has also published in fields such as social psychiatry, evaluation and quality management, medical philosophy, nursing science, social theory and nationalism research. His last book on the sociology of mental disorders in the era of life sciences has been published in 2003(in German).