Stalking Behaviour By Patients Towards Psychiatrists in a Large Mental Health Organization

Ronan J. Mcivor, Laurence Potter and Lisa Davies
Additional contact information
Ronan J. Mcivor: Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry, London, ronan.mcivor@slam.nhs.uk
Laurence Potter: Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust, London
Lisa Davies: Odgers, Ray & Bernstein, London

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2008, vol. 54, issue 4, 350-357

Abstract: Background: Mental health professionals are at greater risk than the general population of being stalked, particularly by patients. Aims: To assess the prevalence of stalking behaviour by patients towards psychiatrists and ascertain patient characteristics. Method: Semi-structured questionnaire to all psychiatrists ( n = 324) working in a large mental health organization. Results: The response rate was 61% ( n = 198). Forty-one doctors (21%) reported having been stalked by patients, the majority being consultants ( n = 31; 76%). No sub-speciality was over-represented. Most stalkers ( n = 24; 59%) were male with a diagnosis of personality disorder (39%) or major mental illness (34%). Duration of stalking ranged from several weeks to 16 years, and most commonly occurred at work. On average, victims experienced two types of inappropriate contact. Physical threats were made against 14 psychiatrists (34%). Conclusions: Stalking by patients towards psychiatrists is common and represents an important occupational risk. Formal training programmes and policy development within healthcare organizations may help manage risk.

Keywords: harassment; mental health organizations; psychiatrists; stalking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764008090690 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:54:y:2008:i:4:p:350-357

DOI: 10.1177/0020764008090690

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().