An Inductive Content Analysis of Collaborative Violence Risk Management Plans in a High-Security Forensic Psychiatric Hospital

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This study explored a new method for nursing staff’s work with collaborative violence risk management, to be used in forensic psychiatric inpatient settings. The components of the method, the background to, and the rationale for collaborative risk management in forensic mental health settings were outlined. An inductive content analysis of 50 of these collaborative violence risk management plans was conducted. The focus of the analysis was the types and frequencies of early warning signs for aggression, risk factors/scenarios for aggression, risk management strategies, and responsibilities devised to address that risk as well as goals agreed upon between patients and staff concerning that risk. The results showed that patients and staff could generate collaborative violence risk management plans which displayed a content with a high degree of face validity and content validity when comparing the content of the plans to previous literature on violence risk assessment and management in forensic mental health settings. Although collaborative work on violence risk and violence risk management poses several challenges within forensic psychiatric contexts, the results showed that these approaches hold some promise in such settings – focusing on risk reduction through goal-oriented collaboration between patient and staff – and are worthy of further development and investigation.