ABSTRACT
Workplace violence against health workers is offensive and harms the psychological and physical well-being of health-care staff. It affects their job motivation leading to compromise in the quality of care provided. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with workplace violence against medical and dental healthcare professionals in Chennai city. MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional survey was done among 440 healthcare professionals from medical and dental settings. A specially designed validated questionnaire consisted of 15 questions divided into 3 sections was used to collect the demographic details, experience and factors associated with workplace violence. ResultsThe overall prevalence of workplace violence in the current study was 38 %, with male participants reporting a higher prevalence than females. 51.4 % of the respondents believe that the lack of proper communication and negligence of the doctor also plays a crucial role in violence against them. More than half of the participants (61.4 %) recommended doctors to carry weapons for self-defence against violence and these values rise to 71 % among individuals with more than 10 years of clinical experience. Around 70.5 % believed that media publicity plays a crucial role in the increasing trend of violence against healthcare professionals. ConclusionsWorkplace violence against doctors in Chennai is frequent although in most of the situations it is psychological. Healthcare staff should be trained to identify, manage and prevent violent situations adequately. A nationwide law for the prevention of violence against healthcare professionals and institutions should be developed.