Original Research Prim Care Companion CNS Disord March 2026

Attitudes of Emergency Department Nurses Toward Violent Patients With Mental Illness

PCC CNS Disord 2026;28(2):10.4088/PCC.25m04081

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. Clinical Summary Emergency nurses are often the first clinicians to confront aggression from patients with mental illness, and their attitudes can shape whether they use person-centered strategies or containment. In this study, nurses discounted multiple common contributors to aggression and showed mixed views on medication, de-escalation, seclusion, and restraint, highlighting a practical gap in ED violence-management readiness. FAQ What did this study find about emergency department nurses’ overall attitudes toward violent patients with mental illness?

Key Takeaways This sample was early-career and relatively homogeneous: all respondents were aged 20–30 years, 87.9% were BSc educated, and 57.6% had 1–3 years of experience in psychiatry, which may help explain why attitudes were not associated with demographic or training variables in this cohort. Clinical Guide How can a clinical team systematically assess emergency department nurses' attitudes toward the causes and management of aggression in patients with mental illness?