Risk assessment and risk management among severely mentally ill patients requiring hospitalisation

Abstract

Hospital admission is often precipitated by an increased risk to self or others and therefore it is practice to conduct an adequate assessment of risk in order to develop appropriate risk management plans. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of risk assessment and management among general psychiatric inpatients. To determine which risk factors are most likely to prompt a structured risk assessment. Data on risk assessment were collected from 202 inpatients. Two-thirds of inpatients were not assessed with a brief risk assessment (66%) or a structured risk assessment (67%). Of those brief and structured risk assessments which were done, 60% and 35% (respectively), were incomplete. Only 17% of the patients had a risk management plan. ‘Current behaviour suggesting there is a risk’ was the risk factor most likely to prompt a structured risk assessment. The majority of general psychiatric inpatients are neither being screened for violence nor are they receiving adequate risk management plans. Certain risk factors are more likely to prompt a structured risk assessment.