Safety in Psychiatry - The Mind's Eye DVD

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional body representing psychiatrists in the UK and around the world. It is integral to monitoring and maintaining standards of psychiatry teaching.

Summary of the film; Introduction. States the aim of the film: to make clinicians aware of the issues. Encourages them to report violent incidents and stresses that it is not a sign of weakness to do so. Observes that whilst being a victim of violent incidents may be an occupational hazard for psychiatrists, they should learn to predict the signs of impending violence and this ought to become second nature. Contains the definition of a 'violent incident'; Case Examples. There are three real-life case examples. Each follows the format whereby actors play out the situation, then both the psychiatrist involved and the narrator comment on how it was handled and give some advice on how this could have been improved. Many practical tips for use in everyday practice are given throughout these scenes; Example 1. A male psychiatrist is called to assess a distressed female patient in A&E who is demanding to be admitted to hospital. There are no medical notes about her available and her body language and verbal tone become increasingly aggressive during the interview. This example examines the issues of whether or not a case history is known, the pros and cons of using an isolated interview room and the security issues associated with interview rooms; Example 2. A female psychiatrist has to interview a male adolescent patient in a community-based clinic. Although his mother is present, he kicks out and shows violence towards items in the room. This example discusses issues of personal safety when carrying out interviews in locations away from the hospital; such as home visits and community centres; Example 3. A male psychiatrist has heard rumours that one of his female patients is 'out to get him'. He has received threatening letters and nuisance calls from her. She manages to follow him in the hospital grounds and then confronts him in his office. This example considers issues relating to the privacy of doctors' personal information, such as home address or telephone number and the safety of family members. It touches on how to deal with stalking and discusses the importance of security measures in hospital buildings; Information Booklet. This backs up much of what is said in the film, including some extra useful suggestions. The advice is all written in a systematic way; Introduction; Safety legislation; Trust's safety induction; Personal precautions; Buildings and site; Safety policies and procedures; Safety during interviews; Procedure to be followed after a violent incident; Important learning points; Appendix; References and recommended reading; Tutor notes. These give extra guidance for tutors, recommending that the film be used as part of a training session lasting between 1 and 11/2 hours. It contains suggested discussion points relating to each of the three case examples and cross-references to the relevant pages in the information booklet.