What it is about:

Most people with mental disorders live productive lives in the community. Sometimes, they may need the additional support and care that a psychiatric hospital can provide. Psychiatric nurses, and other mental health care providers who work in psychiatric hospitals, help patients to manage their symptoms, and assist patients who are in crisis. Sometimes, psychiatric workers are exposed to violence or other challenging behaviours.

The Trauma among Psychiatric Workers project surveyed staff who work at three psychiatric hospitals across Ontario, Canada. Over 750 psychiatric workers responded. Two-thirds of surveyed staff had been directly exposed to at least one critical event. This included staff who were physically or sexually assaulted while at work, injured while restraining a patient, or threatened with serious harm to themselves or to their families by a patient. Almost all surveyed staff had been exposed to assaults, threats, deaths, or serious injuries in some way.

It is normal to feel stressed after a traumatic event. That stress comes from the abnormal experience, not personal weakness. The stress often decreases slowly over time, and talking about it can be helpful. For some people, the stress reaction doesn’t go away, and it can develop into PTSD.

In the The Trauma among Psychiatric Workers survey, one out of every six staff screened positive for PTSD using the screening tool PTSD Checklist 5. Among forensic staff, the prevalence rate of positive screens was 22%, about the same as reported for paramedics and police officers in other research conducted across Canada.

Psychiatric hospitals can be rewarding places to work, but the work can also be stressful. The The Trauma among Psychiatric Workers website shares research results and resources to help you stay informed and encourage you to seek help during times of extra stress, so you can stay strong while you protect and care for your patients.