Using de-escalation strategies to prevent aggressive behaviour
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence & Practice Previous     Next

Using de-escalation strategies to prevent aggressive behaviour

Anne Ines Brewer Psychological well-being practitioner/student alumna, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England
Roger Beech Reader in research development, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England
Sinikiwe Simbani Lecturer in mental health nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Keele University, Staffordshire, England

Reducing the use of physical restraint in clinical practice, including face-down restraint, is a challenge for professionals. The aim of this literature review was to assess the use of de-escalation techniques to prevent aggressive behaviour or decrease its intensity. A systematic search of electronic databases was undertaken for articles published between 2000 and 2015. Evidence was found for the use of physical and pharmacological interventions to de-escalate aggressive behaviour; limited to no evidence was found to support the use of verbal de-escalation techniques in similar clinical settings. Research is needed to identify evidence-based strategies for the prevention and de-escalation of aggressive behaviour without using restraint.

Mental Health Practice. 21, 2, 22-28. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2017.e1221

Correspondence

inesbrewer@hotmail.com

Conflict of interest

None declared

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

For author guidelines, go to rcni.com/writeforus

Received: 18 October 2016

Accepted: 06 March 2017

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more