Violence prediction, workplace violence, and the mental health expert.

Suggests that potential expert witnesses in civil cases arising from employee-caused work site violence should be familiar with recent findings concerning the assessment of risk for violence and with the implications of those findings. Pertinent demographic issues and the legal considerations (i.e., legislation, case law, and theories of liability) that might shape tort actions for workplace violence are reviewed. Knowledge concerning mental health professionals' ability to assess violence potential, and the practical limitations of that knowledge are summarized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trauma, Depression, Coping, and Mental Health Service Seeking Among Impoverished Women.

The authors examined the relationship among trauma, coping, depression, and mental health service seeking in a probability sample of sheltered homeless and low-income housed women. Results highlight the diversity of trauma. In a longitudinal analysis, women who lived in shelters or experienced major violence had a twofold increase in their risk of depression over the 6-month follow-up. In a cross-sectional analysis, childhood sexual abuse, living in a shelter, physical violence, childhood physical abuse, and death or injury of a friend or relative predicted avoidant coping and symptoms of depression. Active coping and depression predicted mental health service seeking among traumatized women. Modifying coping strategies may ameliorate some of the negative impact of trauma and potentially enhance mental health service use among at-risk women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Workplace domestic violence. Intervention through program and policy development

1. Workplace domestic violence is a costly and increasing concern to business. 2. Like other workplace hazards, workplace domestic violence has identifiable characteristics. 3. Effective intervention strategies can be developed that involve a multidisciplinary team approach, as well as written policies, procedures, and education. 4. Occupational health nurses can take a leadership role in obtaining management's support to send a strong message to perpetrators that domestic violence is not tolerated.     

Effects of mother's parenting practices on child internalizing trajectories following partner violence.

Studies of children's functioning following exposure to a traumatic event rarely have investigated change over the weeks following the event, but examining recovery in the short aftermath of a traumatic event is important for understanding vulnerability to subsequent disorder, as well as the potential utility of preventive interventions. Data are reported from a short-term longitudinal study of 35 mother-child dyads over 14 weeks following exposure to an incident of severe intimate partner violence. Using a developmental-ecological framework, we proposed that maternal parenting practices would be associated with children's recovery, and that maternal distress would be associated with her parenting practices. Consistent with hypotheses, observed parenting practices at baseline predicted the trajectory of children's self-reported internalizing problems over the study period. Maternal mental health problems were associated with child depression symptoms, but not with overall child internalizing symptoms. Parenting was not associated with maternal mental health symptoms. Further studies should pay closer attention to the role of parenting in children's adjustment in the aftermath of a traumatic event. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managing the violent patient: A guide for psychologists and other mental health professionals.

Being threatened, harassed, attacked, or confronted by a patient with a weapon is becoming more common and is likely to occur at some point in a mental health professional's career. Effective violence management programs can reduce the incidence of violence. Yet, few resources have been provided to assist psychologists and other mental health professionals to deal with aggressive patients. The authors offer strategies for the management of aggressive behavior that can be implemented to empower practitioners to take precautions when necessary in a quick and efficient manner when dealing with violent and potentially violent patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The consultant as expert witness in school and workplace cases—Part 2.

This article provides a review of both Part 1 and Part 2 of a series of the Consulting Psychology Journal on the consultant as an expert witness in school and workplace cases. Part 1 covered topics such as professional consultants as expert witnesses from a legal perspective, sexual harassment and retaliation cases in the workplace, and special education consultants in due process hearings. In part 2, three articles focus on violence in the workplace and two articles alert the consulting psychologist to the issues related to malingering by clients and how to detect it. These articles are meant to provide a sampling of contemporary issues for which the mental health consultant may provide expert testimony in litigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reducing the adverse consequences of workplace aggression and violence: The buffering effects of organizational support.

This study examined the buffering effects of 2 types of organizational support--instrumental and informational--on the relationships between workplace violence/aggression and both personal and organizational outcomes. Based on data from 225 employees in a health care setting, a series of moderated multiple regression analyses demonstrated that organizational support moderated the effects of physical violence, vicariously experienced violence, and psychological aggression on emotional well-being, somatic health, and job-related affect, but not on fear of future workplace violence and job neglect. These findings have implications for both research and intervention related to workplace violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behind closed doors: In-home workers' experience of sexual harassment and workplace violence.

The authors developed and tested a structural model predicting personal and organizational consequences of workplace violence and sexual harassment for health care professionals who work inside their client's home. The model suggests that workplace violence and sexual harassment predict fear of their recurrence in the workplace, which in turn predicts negative mood (anxiety and anger) and perceptions of injustice. In turn, fear, negative mood, and perceived injustice predict lower affective commitment and enhanced withdrawal intentions, poor interpersonal job performance, greater neglect, and cognitive difficulties. The results supported the model and showed that the associations of workplace violence and sexual harassment with organizational and personal outcomes are indirect, mediated by fear and negative mood. Conceptual implications for understanding sexual harassment and workplace violence, and future research directions, are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The women's mental health research agenda: Violence against women.

The focus of this article is violence against women: scope, impact, community response, clinical treatment, and prevention. Conclusions include the following: (a) Nationally representative data on the scope of violence are lacking. (b) The mental health implications of violence are not currently addressed by the practices of mental health professionals. (c) Discontinuity exists between clinical understanding of the impact of violence and empirical treatment research. (d) Victim services are proceeding in program development without direction from empirical data. (e) Prevention efforts have been isolated from the social context in which violence against women occurs. Nine directions for future research are highlighted that intersect with the stated priorities of the National Institute of Mental Health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Posttraumatic distress and physical functioning: A longitudinal study of injured survivors of community violence.

This study examines the cross-lagged relationships between posttraumatic distress symptoms and physical functioning, using a sample of 413 persons who were hospitalized for injuries resulting from community violence. Posttraumatic distress was assessed at 1 week, 3 months, and 12 months postinjury, and posttraumatic physical functioning was assessed at 3 months and 12 months. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the prospective relationship between posttraumatic distress symptoms and physical functioning while controlling for demographic characteristics and objective measures of injury severity. Results indicate that posttraumatic distress and physical functioning are reciprocally related. Individuals with high levels of psychological distress at 1 week posttrauma have worse physical functioning at 3 months. Psychological distress at 3 months was not significantly associated with subsequent change in physical functioning at 12 months. Individuals with poor physical functioning at 3 months had higher than expected levels of psychological distress at 12 months. These findings demonstrate a reciprocal relationship between physical and mental health following traumatic injury. Interventions targeting physical recovery may influence subsequent mental health, and therapies aimed at improving early mental health may also have long-term benefits for physical recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of mental health services among victims of crime: Frequency, correlates, and subsequent recovery.

The use of mental health services was examined within a sample of 392 victims of crime who were generally representative of that population in Kentucky. Respondents were interviewed twice at a 6-month interval. Of these victims, 12% had contact with mental health professionals within the first few months postcrime. Hierarchical discriminant analyses revealed that use of mental health services was most prevalent when depressive symptoms were present and the crime involved violence. Among victims of violence, urban residence, high social support, internal locus of control, and prior crime experience were also associated with use. The victims who recovered from the event most rapidly were those who reported receiving mental health services at both Waves 1 and 2. Implications of the study for policies and programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early employer response to workplace injury: What injured workers perceive as fair and why these perceptions matter.

The authors examined whether early employer response to workplace injury affects injured workers' subsequent attitudes and mental health. At 1 month and 6 months postinjury, telephone surveys were conducted with 344 workers from Ontario, Canada, who had experienced a musculoskeletal lost-time workplace injury. One-month reports of initial supervisor reaction to the injury and the use of workplace-based return-to-work strategies (early contact with worker, ergonomic assessment, presence of designated coordinator, accommodation offer) were hypothesized to predict reports of fairness, affective commitment, and depressive symptoms measured at 6 months postinjury. Structural equation modeling supported a model wherein fairness perceptions fully mediated the relationship between early responses and injured workers' attitudes and mental health. Early contact and supervisor reactions were significant predictors of fairness perceptions. The implications for early employer response are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial correlates of harassment, threats and fear of violence in the workplace

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate work climate factors and structural job aspects as predictors of workplace violence, with particular attention to the relative influence of both sets of factors. METHODS: Telephone survey data collected by a large midwestern insurance company were analyzed. Interviewers asked 598 full-time workers about their work climate, structural job aspects, and subject and workplace demographics, all of which were used as predictor variables in regression analyses. The participants were also asked about incidents of threats, harassment, physical attacks, and fear of becoming a victim of workplace violence, all of which were used as outcome measures. RESULTS: Separate logistic regressions were carried out for each of the outcome measures. The study identified a variety of factors which appear to place workers at risk of nonfatal occupational violence. Work climate variables, such as co-worker support and work group harmony, were predictive of threats, harassment, and fear of becoming a victim of violence. Structural aspects of the job, such as work schedule, were also significant in predicting threats and fear of becoming a victim of violence, but they were not predictive of harassment. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study which suggests that both work climate and structural aspects of work may be important in promoting workplace violence. This finding suggests that intervention strategies should consider organizational and climate issues in addition to basic security measures.     

Psychological interventions for terroristic trauma: Symptoms, syndromes, and treatment strategies.

Terrorist attacks combine features of criminal assaults, disasters, and acts of war. Accordingly, much of the clinical knowledge in treating this relatively new kind of traumatic event is adapted from experiences in treating victims of criminal assault, homicidal bereavement, natural and manmade disasters, war and political violence, workplace homicide, and school shootings. This article reviews the pertinent literature on these types of trauma and combines this information with the author's own experience in treating direct and indirect victims and survivors of recent terrorist attacks. The article describes the psychological syndromes resulting from terrorism and discusses crisis intervention, individual therapy, and family therapy modalities for treating victims of terror. Last, the role of mental health clinicians in the larger national and international response to terroristic trauma is highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Domestic violence and mental health: correlates and conundrums within and across cultures

Gender-based violence, only recently emerging as a pervasive global issue, contributes significantly to preventable morbidity and mortality for women across diverse cultures. Existing documentation suggests that profound physical and psychological sequelae are endemic following intimate partner violence. The presentation of domestic violence is often culture specific. A new lexicon, prompted by the expansion of human rights analysis, describes particular threats to local women including dowry deaths, honor murder, saiti, and disproportional exposure to HIV/AIDS as well as globally generic perils including abuse, battering, marital rape, and murder. While still fragmentary, accruing data reveal strengthening associations between domestic violence and mental health. Depression, stress-related syndromes, chemical dependency and substance (ab)use, and suicide are consequences observed in the context of violence in women's lives. Emerging social, legal, medical, and educational strategies, often culture specific, offer novel local models to promote social change beginning with raising the status of women. The ubiquity, gravity, and variability of domestic violence across cultures compel additional research to promote the recognition, intervention, and prevention of domestic violence that are both locally specific and internationally instructive.     

Workplace harassment, services utilization, and drinking outcomes.

Given the negative outcomes associated with sexual harassment (SH) and generalized nonsexual workplace harassment (GWH), this study examines the relationship between SH and GWH and help-seeking behavior in a sample of 2,038 university employees. Employees who experienced SH or GWH were more likely to report having sought mental health or health services to deal with workplace issues, compared with those who did not experience SH or GWM, controlling for job stress and prior services use. Women experiencing GWH were more likely to use services than men, but the same was not true for SH. Men experiencing SH who sought services exhibited higher levels of some alcohol outcomes, contrary to expectations. Implications for workplace interventions and for service providers are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La constitution d’un milieu de travail sain: Ce que nous savons jusqu’à maintenant.

By way of introduction to this Special Issue of the Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, we hope to achieve three interrelated goals. First, we define what we mean by a "healthy workplace," and we delineate the ways in which work is associated with mental health. We argue that work is both a causal factor in mental and physical ill-health as well as a potential health resource that both may protect us and assist in our recovery from psychological ill-health. Second, we review the individual, organizational, and societal costs of unhealthy work and workplaces, and, consequently, of poor mental and physical health. Our argument is simply that we are incurring horrific economic and social costs when we have unhealthy workplaces. Finally, we provide a framework in terms of a healthy workplace model to help summarize this literature, and to present the articles in this Special Issue. Throughout this introduction, we emphasize that these goals are highly compatible with organizations' traditional focus on enhancing productivity and profitability. Put simply, what is good for Canadian workers is good for Canadian industry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Building Healthy Workplaces: What We Know So Far.

By way of introduction to this Special Issue of the Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, we hope to achieve three interrelated goals. First, we define what we mean by a "healthy workplace," and we delineate the ways in which work is associated with mental health. We argue that work is both a causal factor in mental and physical ill-health as well as a potential health resource that both may protect us and assist in our recovery from psychological ill-health. Second, we review the individual, organizational, and societal costs of unhealthy work and workplaces, and, consequently, of poor mental and physical health. Our argument is simply that we are incurring horrific economic and social costs when we have unhealthy workplaces. Finally, we provide a framework in terms of a healthy workplace model to help summarize this literature, and to present the articles in this Special Issue. Throughout this introduction, we emphasize that these goals are highly compatible with organizations' traditional focus on enhancing productivity and profitability. Put simply, what is good for Canadian workers is good for Canadian industry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)