Psychologists' and psychiatrists' perceptions of the dangerous client

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors that influence psychologists and psychiatrists to perceive a client as dangerous, to establish the incidence of such clients and to identify actions taken in relation to their treatment The dangerous client was identified as one who posed a risk of physical harm to another. Two hundred and sixty‐two psychologists and 67 psychiatrists were surveyed. Respondents provided details about the most recent case in which they had treated a client whom they perceived to be dangerous. Overall, results indicated that dealing with the dangerous client was a common issue for respondents and that third parties were frequently notified when a client was perceived as likely to physically harm another. A profile of clients perceived to be dangerous was described. Criteria used by respondents to identify the dangerous client were compared with criteria identified in the literature. The significance of these results in the context of contemporary discussion of a “duty to protect third parties” was discussed.