Numerous studies have been carried out on the prevalence, causes and nature of violence in mental health units and emergency departments worldwide, however there have been few high quality studies which actually rigorously assess the effects of various staff training interventions in preventing or reducing violence. Most programmes do not specifically address the psychological and organisational costs associated with aggression in the workplace and there still needs to be research which addresses the multiple contexts in which violence occurs.
Overall the evidence for the effectiveness of staff training programmes for preventing violence is inconclusive. This reflects the fact that the quality of the evidence evaluating the effectiveness of staff training programmes for preventing or minimising violence to healthcare workers is relatively low according to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) hierarchy of evidence. The lack of published literature from New Zealand settings is also a major limitation of this Technical Brief.
There was some suggestion that staff training may lead to increases in staff knowledge of certain skills and techniques and in some but not all cases, a short-term reduction in the incidence of violence but without further controlled studies the evidence for this remains equivocal. Any longer term or sustained effect from training to date is unknown. No specific programme or particular approach can be recommended as more effective than another although most of the programmes appear to contain common elements.