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The Frequency of Patient-Initiated Violence and Its Psychological Impact on Physicians in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

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  • Jianwei Shi
  • Sheng Wang
  • Ping Zhou
  • Leiyu Shi
  • Yu Zhang
  • Fei Bai
  • Di Xue
  • Xinkai Zhang

Abstract

Introduction: In China, the severity of medical disputes has greatly increased during the past two decades, which has caused various adverse outcomes for health professionals. Previous research on violence in healthcare settings has primarily examined the occurrence of patient-initiated violence and its effects on physicians, but few studies have focused on the impact of the extent of physicians’ exposure to violence. This study examined the different frequency levels of specific types of violence and their relationships to physicians’ psychological wellbeing, including emotional exhaustion (EE), job satisfaction (JS), and intention to leave (IL). Methods: Using a stratified random sampling method, the participants were drawn from 123 public hospitals in Shanghai, Hubei Province, and Gansu Province in China, and 1,656 completed questionnaires were collected. Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and mixed linear model were employed in the analysis. Results: The results showed that the rate of exposure to verbal abuse (VA) was the highest (92.75%), followed by threats of assault (TA, 88.10%) and physical assaults (PA, 81.04%). Physicians’ reported high-frequency exposure to VA, TA, and PA was 35.14%, 27.72%, and 19.32%, respectively. The results indicated that exposure to violence significantly affected EE, JS, and IL, and the intensity of the harm of high-frequency exposure was several times stronger than that of low-frequency exposure. Interestingly, we found that VA produced a greater adverse impact on physicians’ EE and satisfaction with work (JS-1) than did TA or PA. This finding may be attributed to the fact that physicians are more likely to be exposed to a high frequency of VA, and the effect of high-frequency exposure is much stronger. Conclusion: The results indicated that decreasing violent incidents and creating a safer work environment for physicians should be a top priority for both government and society.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianwei Shi & Sheng Wang & Ping Zhou & Leiyu Shi & Yu Zhang & Fei Bai & Di Xue & Xinkai Zhang, 2015. "The Frequency of Patient-Initiated Violence and Its Psychological Impact on Physicians in China: A Cross-Sectional Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0128394
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128394
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    1. Linghan Shan & Ye Li & Ding Ding & Qunhong Wu & Chaojie Liu & Mingli Jiao & Yanhua Hao & Yuzhen Han & Lijun Gao & Jiejing Hao & Lan Wang & Weilan Xu & Jiaojiao Ren, 2016. "Patient Satisfaction with Hospital Inpatient Care: Effects of Trust, Medical Insurance and Perceived Quality of Care," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Wendy Nieto-Gutierrez & Carlos J Toro-Huamanchumo & Alvaro Taype-Rondan & Raúl Timaná-Ruiz & Carlos Alva Diaz & David Jumpa-Armas & Seimer Escobedo-Palza & CONAREME Consejo Nacional de Residentado Méd, 2018. "Workplace violence by specialty among Peruvian medical residents," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-12, November.
    3. Guangyu Hu & Xueyan Han & Huixuan Zhou & Yuanli Liu, 2019. "Public Perception on Healthcare Services: Evidence from Social Media Platforms in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-10, April.
    4. Teris Cheung & Paul H. Lee & Paul S. F. Yip, 2017. "Workplace Violence toward Physicians and Nurses: Prevalence and Correlates in Macau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, August.
    5. Nan Tang & Louise E. Thomson, 2019. "Workplace Violence in Chinese Hospitals: The Effects of Healthcare Disturbance on the Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Healthcare Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Lan Zhu & Lei Li & Jinghe Lang, 2018. "Gender differences in workplace violence against physicians of obstetrics and gynecology in China: A questionnaire in the national congress," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Liu, Junqiang & Zhou, Hui & Liu, Lingrui & Wang, Chunxiao, 2020. "The weakness of the strong: Examining the squeaky-wheel effect of hospital violence in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    8. Huixuan Zhou & Xueyan Han & Juan Zhang & Jing Sun & Linlin Hu & Guangyu Hu & Shichao Wu & Pengyu Zhao & Feng Jiang & Yuanli Liu, 2018. "Job Satisfaction and Associated Factors among Medical Staff in Tertiary Public Hospitals: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Survey in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-13, July.

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