Abstract
Providing direct health and social care services for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge can be a highly stressful occupation. Existing literature has suggested that there is a need to develop further theoretical understanding of how work related stress can be reduced in professions that consist of providing care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge. The aim for this study was to use a Classic Grounded Theory approach to develop a theoretical framework to illustrate a common issue that could influence work related stress levels experienced when managing behaviours that challenge in health and social care settings. A series of focus groups and 1:1 semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the articulated experiences of 47 health/social care professionals who provide care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge. This led to the development of Therapeutic Engagement Stress Theory (TEST), which illustrates that the perceived capacity to therapeutically engage with people who exhibit behaviours that challenge is an issue that can influence the levels of stress experienced by health/social care professionals. TEST provides a framework that could be applied to identify specific factors that inhibit staff to successfully deliver caring interventions for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge, and also inform bespoke support mechanisms to reduce stress in health/social care professionals.
Highlights
Behaviours that challenge have been defined as any behaviour of such intensity, frequency or duration as to compromise the wellbeing of the individual exhibiting the behaviour, or others, which can lead to the implementation of restrictive/aversive interventions or exclusion from community settings [1]
Providing care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge has been identified as a prominent occupational hazard that can impact the levels of work related stress experienced by health and social care professionals [2]
Between 2014 and 2017, occupations associated with the delivery of health and social care had the greatest incidences of absenteeism due to work related stress in the UK [3]
Summary
Behaviours that challenge have been defined as any behaviour of such intensity, frequency or duration as to compromise the wellbeing of the individual exhibiting the behaviour, or others, which can lead to the implementation of restrictive/aversive interventions or exclusion from community settings [1]. Providing care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge has been identified as a prominent occupational hazard that can impact the levels of work related stress experienced by health and social care professionals [2]. Work related stress and the safe prevention of behaviours that challenge described as the harmful response to excessive pressures and demands that professionals experience as a result of their occupation [3]. Between 2014 and 2017, occupations associated with the delivery of health and social care had the greatest incidences of absenteeism due to work related stress in the UK [3]. It is necessary to gain an understanding on how health/social care professionals can be supported in their occupations, when providing care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge, as a means to ensure employee wellbeing and reduce work related stress
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