Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T21:21:57.165Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3 - De-escalation

from Part I - Therapeutic interventions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2009

M. Dominic Beer
Affiliation:
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Stephen M. Pereira
Affiliation:
Goodmayes Hospital, Essex
Carol Paton
Affiliation:
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Roland Dix
Affiliation:
Consultant Nurse in Psychiatric Intensive Care and Secure Rehabilitation; Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Executive Committee Member NAPICU; Editor in Chief, Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, Wotton Lawn, Horton Road, Gloucester, UK
Mathew J. Page
Affiliation:
Greyfriars Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, Severn NHS Trust, Wotton Lawn, Gloucester, UK
Get access

Summary

The United Kingdom is beginning to see the development of systematic approaches to the prevention and management of violence and aggression. The Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide for Developing Positive Practice to Support the Safe and Therapeutic Management of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health In-patient Settings was published by the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) (2004). The Guide places an emphasis on the recognition, prevention and de-escalation of aggressive behaviour and adds that this is best achieved through organisational, environmental and clinical risk assessment and management. One of the key standards set by the Guide is that all staff must be trained in recognition, prevention and de-escalation skills awareness.

Such a programme has been developed by the NHS Security Management Service (SMS) (2004). The National Syllabus for Conflict Resolution training is a generic course for all NHS frontline staff. The SMS is developing a programme specifically to meet the needs of those who work in mental health and learning disability care. This course lasts two days and includes the following modules (Nyberg-Coles 2005):

  • Recognising violence and understanding causes

  • Raising awareness of staff and service-user perspectives

  • The impact of the social and physical environment

  • Cultural awareness, diversity and racial equality

  • De-escalation and communication

  • Problem-solving and risk assessment

  • Legal and ethical issues

  • The importance of post-incident reviews and learning the lessons

De-escalation must form part of a hierarchy of responses to aggression in inpatient care. Guidance is continually being developed and evaluated.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bensley, L, Nelson, N, Kaufman, J, Silverstein, B, Shield, J. 1995 Patient and staff views of factors influencing assaults on psychiatric hospital employees. Issues Mental Health Nursing 16: 433–446Google Scholar
Berne, E. 1964 Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships. Harmondsworth: Penguin
Betempts, E, Somoza, E, Buncher, C. 1993 Hospital characteristics, diagnoses, and staff reasons associated with the use of seclusion and restraint. Hosp Community Psychiatry 44: 367–361Google Scholar
Blair, D. 1991 Assaultive behaviour: does provocation begin in the front office?J Psychosoc Nursing Mental Health Serv, 29 (5): 21–26Google Scholar
Boettcher, E. 1983 Preventing violent behaviour: an integrated theoretical model for nursing. Perspect Psychiatr Care 21 (2): 54–58Google Scholar
Cheung, P, Schweitzer, I, Tuckwell, V, Crowley, K. 1997 A prospective study of assaults on staff by psychiatric in-patients. Med Sci Law 37 (1): 46–52Google Scholar
Davis W. 1989 The prevention of assault on professional helpers. In: Howells, K, Hollin, C (eds) Clinical Approaches of Violence. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 311–328
Davis, S. 1991 Violence by psychiatric in-patients: a review. Hosp Community Psychiatry 42 (6): 585–589Google Scholar
Farrell, G, Gray, C. 1992 Aggression: A Nurse's Guide to Therapeutic Management. London: Scutari Press
Frude N. 1989 The physical abuse of children. In: Howells, K, Hollin, C (eds) Clinical Approaches to Violence. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 155–181
Kaplan, S, Wheeler, E, 1983 Survival skills for working with potentially violent clients. J Contemp Social Work339–346Google Scholar
Lanza, M. 1988 Factors relevant to patient assault. Issues Mental Health Nursing 9: 259–270Google Scholar
Lanza, M, Campbell, R. 1991 Patient assault: a comparison of reporting measures. Qual Assur 5: 60–68Google Scholar
Poole, S. 1987 Never Take No For An Answer: A Guide to Successful Negotiation. London: Kogan Page
Maier, G. 1996 Managing threatening behaviour. The role of talk down and talk up. J Psychosoc Nursing 34 (6): 25–30Google Scholar
McDougall, T. 1997 Coercive interventions: the notion of the ‘last resort’. Psychiatr Care 4: 19–21Google Scholar
McHugh, I, West, M. 1995 Handle with care. Nursing Times. 91 (6): 62–63Google Scholar
National Institute for Clinical Excellence. 2005 Violence: The Short-Term Management of Disturbed/Violent Behaviour in Psychiatric Inpatient Settings and Emergency Departments.London: NICE
National Institute for Mental Health in England. 2004 Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide: Developing Positive Practice to Support the Safe and Therapeutic Management of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health Inpatient Settings. London: NIMHE
NHS Security Management Service. 2004 Conflict Resolution Training: Implementing the National Syllabus. London: NHS
Nyberg-Coles, M. 2005 Promoting safer and therapeutic services. Mental Health Practice 8 (7): 16–17Google Scholar
Poyner, B, Warne, C. 1986 Violence to Staff: A Basis for Assessment and Intervention.London: HMSO
Stevenson, S. 1991 Heading off violence with verbal de-escalation. J Psychosoc Nursing Mental Health Serv 36: 6–10Google Scholar
Turnball, J, Aiken, I, Black, L, Patterson, B. 1990 Turn it around: short-term management for aggression and anger. J Psychosoc Nursing 28 (6): 7–10Google Scholar
Webster, C D, Douglas, K S, Eaves, D, Hart, S D. 1997 HCR-20 Assessing Risk of Violence, Version 2. Burnaby: Simon Fraser University and Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia
Whittington, R, Patterson, P. 1996 Verbal and non verbal behaviour immediately prior to aggression by mentally disordered people: enhancing assessment of risk. J Psychiatr Mental Health Nursing 3: 47–54Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • De-escalation
    • By Roland Dix, Consultant Nurse in Psychiatric Intensive Care and Secure Rehabilitation; Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Executive Committee Member NAPICU; Editor in Chief, Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, Wotton Lawn, Horton Road, Gloucester, UK, Mathew J. Page, Greyfriars Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, Severn NHS Trust, Wotton Lawn, Gloucester, UK
  • M. Dominic Beer, Stephen M. Pereira, Carol Paton
  • Book: Psychiatric Intensive Care
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543593.006
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • De-escalation
    • By Roland Dix, Consultant Nurse in Psychiatric Intensive Care and Secure Rehabilitation; Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Executive Committee Member NAPICU; Editor in Chief, Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, Wotton Lawn, Horton Road, Gloucester, UK, Mathew J. Page, Greyfriars Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, Severn NHS Trust, Wotton Lawn, Gloucester, UK
  • M. Dominic Beer, Stephen M. Pereira, Carol Paton
  • Book: Psychiatric Intensive Care
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543593.006
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • De-escalation
    • By Roland Dix, Consultant Nurse in Psychiatric Intensive Care and Secure Rehabilitation; Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Executive Committee Member NAPICU; Editor in Chief, Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, Wotton Lawn, Horton Road, Gloucester, UK, Mathew J. Page, Greyfriars Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, Severn NHS Trust, Wotton Lawn, Gloucester, UK
  • M. Dominic Beer, Stephen M. Pereira, Carol Paton
  • Book: Psychiatric Intensive Care
  • Online publication: 22 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543593.006
Available formats
×