AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST HEALTH WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The review article examines cases of violence and aggression against health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Violence and aggression represent a series of behaviors or actions that can lead to doing harm or causing injury to another person, regardless of whether it is a physical or verbal action, whether physical harm has been done or an intention has been expressed. The cases of violence in various countries of the world are described, general statistics on these cases is shown. First of all, these cases come from patients and relatives of patients. The pandemic and acts of violence also affect health workers, increasing the onset of anxiety disorders in them. Nurses and junior service personnel are most often subjected to violence, as they spend most of their time directly with patients. It has been confirmed that medical workers of the ambulance, emergency and intensive care units, traumatology and surgery units often face violence. Systematic reviews show that the main risk factors are long waiting times, inconsistencies between patients' expectations and services, substance abuse by the patient and mental disorders. The article gives examples of how to protect medical workers from violence and aggression, to prevent outbreaks of discontent among patients and their relatives.