Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding author: Libuseng Rathobei, rathobeil yahoo. Aggression and violence in psychiatric clinical facilities are a common case, and mental healthcare workers utilise various management strategies to combat it. It is therefore crucial for mental healthcare workers to acquire skills for the management strategies of aggressive behaviour of psychiatric patients. A psychiatric hospital situated to the south in Maseru in the rural countryside and general hospital located in the western lowlands of Lesotho in the village of Morija were used.
This study adopted a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design. There were two focus group interviews conducted per clinical facility, which consisted of six members in each group. There were four participants for individual interviews from psychiatric clinical facility and three individual interviews from general clinical facility. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in themes and sub-themes.
These were psychological intervention strategy, physical strategy, chemical strategy, empowerment strategy and policy strategy. Participants viewed various management strategies of aggressive and violent behaviour of psychiatric patients they utilise in clinical facilities as effective.
The study will enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding management strategies that mental healthcare workers can utilise in managing aggressive and violent behaviour of psychiatric patients.
Keywords: mental healthcare workers, management strategies, psychiatric patients, clinical facility, aggressive and violent behavior. Aggression in psychiatric clinical facilities is a common occurrence that mental healthcare workers have difficulty in managing Njaka et al. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence NICE guidelines define aggression as a range of behaviours or actions that can result in harm, hurt or injury to another person, regardless of whether the expression of violence or aggression is physical or verbal.
