Abstract
Working in a health care setting has been identified as a primary risk factor for violent assault, which is often perpetrated by patients. Patient dangerousness is a multidimensional phenomenon, which may include violent ideation, homicidal planning, a history of violent acts, or overt threatening behavior. Although the verbal report of thoughts of killing a doctor is only one of many risk factors for patient dangerousness, reports of homicidal ideation are widely regarded as being sufficient to warrant concern, and to indicate a need for further assessment of the patient. In this study, 2264 subjects (1329 healthy community subjects, 158 non-healthy community subjects, and 777 rehabilitation patients) were asked if they had a desire to kill a doctor that they had seen. Subjects responding positively to this item were compared to subjects responding negatively to the item using all available demographic variables and BHI 2 scales using chi-square or t-test. Significant variables (p<.01) were then utilized in a logistic regression to generate a model for this wish. Three variables significantly predicted this wish: the Doctor Dissatisfaction (p<.001) and Borderline (p<.001) scales of the BHI 2, and injury-related litigation status (p = .002). The presence of one of these variables, especially Doctor Dissatisfaction, should prompt a more thorough assessment of potential danger to healthcare workers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 87-97 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2010 |
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Keywords
- Battery for Health Improvement 2 (BHI 2)
- Borderline
- Doctor Dissatisfaction scale
- Healthcare workers
- Homicide
- Hostile wish to kill physicians
- Litigation
- Physicians
- Predictors
- Risk factors
- Violence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
Cite this
What variables are associated with an expressed wish to kill a doctor in community and injured patient samples? / Bruns, Daniel; Fishbain, David A; Disorbio, John Mark; Lewis, John E.
In: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, Vol. 17, No. 2, 01.06.2010, p. 87-97.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - What variables are associated with an expressed wish to kill a doctor in community and injured patient samples?
AU - Bruns, Daniel
AU - Fishbain, David A
AU - Disorbio, John Mark
AU - Lewis, John E
PY - 2010/6/1
Y1 - 2010/6/1
N2 - Working in a health care setting has been identified as a primary risk factor for violent assault, which is often perpetrated by patients. Patient dangerousness is a multidimensional phenomenon, which may include violent ideation, homicidal planning, a history of violent acts, or overt threatening behavior. Although the verbal report of thoughts of killing a doctor is only one of many risk factors for patient dangerousness, reports of homicidal ideation are widely regarded as being sufficient to warrant concern, and to indicate a need for further assessment of the patient. In this study, 2264 subjects (1329 healthy community subjects, 158 non-healthy community subjects, and 777 rehabilitation patients) were asked if they had a desire to kill a doctor that they had seen. Subjects responding positively to this item were compared to subjects responding negatively to the item using all available demographic variables and BHI 2 scales using chi-square or t-test. Significant variables (p<.01) were then utilized in a logistic regression to generate a model for this wish. Three variables significantly predicted this wish: the Doctor Dissatisfaction (p<.001) and Borderline (p<.001) scales of the BHI 2, and injury-related litigation status (p = .002). The presence of one of these variables, especially Doctor Dissatisfaction, should prompt a more thorough assessment of potential danger to healthcare workers.
AB - Working in a health care setting has been identified as a primary risk factor for violent assault, which is often perpetrated by patients. Patient dangerousness is a multidimensional phenomenon, which may include violent ideation, homicidal planning, a history of violent acts, or overt threatening behavior. Although the verbal report of thoughts of killing a doctor is only one of many risk factors for patient dangerousness, reports of homicidal ideation are widely regarded as being sufficient to warrant concern, and to indicate a need for further assessment of the patient. In this study, 2264 subjects (1329 healthy community subjects, 158 non-healthy community subjects, and 777 rehabilitation patients) were asked if they had a desire to kill a doctor that they had seen. Subjects responding positively to this item were compared to subjects responding negatively to the item using all available demographic variables and BHI 2 scales using chi-square or t-test. Significant variables (p<.01) were then utilized in a logistic regression to generate a model for this wish. Three variables significantly predicted this wish: the Doctor Dissatisfaction (p<.001) and Borderline (p<.001) scales of the BHI 2, and injury-related litigation status (p = .002). The presence of one of these variables, especially Doctor Dissatisfaction, should prompt a more thorough assessment of potential danger to healthcare workers.
KW - Battery for Health Improvement 2 (BHI 2)
KW - Borderline
KW - Doctor Dissatisfaction scale
KW - Healthcare workers
KW - Homicide
KW - Hostile wish to kill physicians
KW - Litigation
KW - Physicians
KW - Predictors
KW - Risk factors
KW - Violence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954888584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77954888584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10880-010-9190-7
DO - 10.1007/s10880-010-9190-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 20352477
AN - SCOPUS:77954888584
VL - 17
SP - 87
EP - 97
JO - Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
JF - Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
SN - 1068-9583
IS - 2
ER -