IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i15p5486-d391735.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Challenging Aggressive Behaviors Experienced by Personal Support Workers in Comparison to Home Care Workers: Relationships between Caregiver Experiences and Psychological Health

Author

Listed:
  • Kelsey N. Womack

    (Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA)

  • Teala W. Alvord

    (Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA
    School of Public Health, OHSU-Portland State University (PSU), Portland, OR 97201, USA)

  • Caitlyn F. Trullinger-Dwyer

    (Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA)

  • Sean P. M. Rice

    (Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA)

  • Ryan Olson

    (Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA
    School of Public Health, OHSU-Portland State University (PSU), Portland, OR 97201, USA
    Department of Psychology, OHSU-Portland State University (PSU), Portland, OR 97201, USA)

Abstract

Personal support workers (PSW) are caregivers for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) or adults experiencing mental illness or other behavioral health conditions. The work can be very meaningful, but many PSWs must prepare for, monitor, and manage challenging behaviors, including aggression. This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of aggression experienced by PSWs in Oregon, and compare it to a previous sample of Oregon home care workers (HCWs). This comparison included an analysis of relationships between exposures to aggression and psychological health factors. PSWs in Oregon ( N = 240) were surveyed electronically at a single time point. PSWs generally reported higher rates of exposure to aggression compared to HCWs. Experiences with aggression were positively associated with fatigue and weakly associated with depression, but not stress. PSWs’ self-reported lost work time injury rate was elevated compared to the US average, but it was comparable to previous self-reported injury rates from HCWs. Physical demands of work were the most prevalent reported primary safety concern, followed by challenging behaviors (including aggression). Developing tailored training to help PSWs understand, plan for, minimize, and manage challenging behaviors is a social priority.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelsey N. Womack & Teala W. Alvord & Caitlyn F. Trullinger-Dwyer & Sean P. M. Rice & Ryan Olson, 2020. "Challenging Aggressive Behaviors Experienced by Personal Support Workers in Comparison to Home Care Workers: Relationships between Caregiver Experiences and Psychological Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-16, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5486-:d:391735
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/15/5486/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/15/5486/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ryan Olson & Jennifer A. Hess & Kelsey N. Parker & Sharon V. Thompson & Anjali Rameshbabu & Kristy Luther Rhoten & Miguel Marino, 2018. "From Research-to-Practice: An Adaptation and Dissemination of the COMPASS Program for Home Care Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Olson, R. & Thompson, S.V. & Elliot, D.L. & Hess, J.A. & Rhoten, K.L. & Parker, K.N. & Wright, R.R. & Wipfli, B. & Bettencourt, K.M. & Buckmaster, A. & Marino, M., 2016. "Safety and health support for home care workers: The COMPASS randomized controlled trial," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 106(10), pages 1823-1832.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ryan Olson & Jennifer A. Hess & Kelsey N. Parker & Sharon V. Thompson & Anjali Rameshbabu & Kristy Luther Rhoten & Miguel Marino, 2018. "From Research-to-Practice: An Adaptation and Dissemination of the COMPASS Program for Home Care Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Daniels, Kevin & Watson, David & Nayani, Rachel & Tregaskis, Olga & Hogg, Martin & Etuknwa, Abasiama & Semkina, Antonina, 2021. "Implementing practices focused on workplace health and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Pia K. Markkanen & Rebecca J. Gore & Susan R. Sama & John E. Lindberg & Catherine J. Galligan & Margaret M. Quinn, 2024. "Coaching Home Care Clients to Prepare Their Homes for Safe Care Visits: A Mixed-Methods Study to Evaluate a Nurse-Led Educational Intervention Process," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(3), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Maggie T. Ornstein & Christine C. Caruso, 2024. "The Social Ecology of Caregiving: Applying the Social–Ecological Model across the Life Course," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5486-:d:391735. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.