The content of management of violence policy documents in United Kingdom acute inpatient mental health services.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of the study was to examine the content of Trust policies concerning the prevention and management of violence in acute in-patient settings in order to establish their usefulness as guidance for staff in this difficult, complex, and controversial aspect of inpatient psychiatric care.

Background: Violence is a commonly encountered problem in inpatient psychiatric settings. There are legal requirements for workplaces in general and mental health care facilities in particular to develop safe systems of work based upon the findings of assessments of this risk.