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Currently submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols

Date Submitted: Mar 21, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Mar 21, 2025 - May 16, 2025
(currently open for review)

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

Effects of the violence prevention intervention TERMA in forensic psychiatric inpatient care: protocol for an observational study

  • Panagiotis Doinakis; 
  • Lilas Ali; 
  • Anna-Kari Sjödin; 
  • Peter Andiné; 
  • Eirini Alexiou; 
  • Sara Wallström

ABSTRACT

Background:

Aggression and violence are prevalent in forensic psychiatric inpatient care. These behaviours significantly impact treatment outcomes, work environments for staff, and strain relationships among patients and caregivers. Managing such behaviours poses a formidable challenge that necessitates innovative approaches and evidence-based interventions.

Objective:

The aim of this project is to evaluate the violence prevention method Therapeutic Meeting with Aggression (TERMA) regarding perceived safety by patients and staff and adverse events within forensic psychiatric inpatient care. Additionally, the project will investigate whether the organisational culture affect the implementation of the TERMA method.

Methods:

The project includes an observational study with a before and after design. Implementation of TERMA consists of an eight-seminar staff training program. Data sources include questionnaires, medical records, and registries. Quantitative data will be analysed with descriptive and comparative statistics. The project will also include qualitative interview studies.

Results:

Participant enrollment began in February 2024 and will continue through 2025. Data collection and analysis are expected to be completed by early 2026, after which the study findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Conclusions:

Patients and staff at a forensic psychiatry inpatient facility in Western Sweden. Clinical Trial: NCT05932108


 Citation

Please cite as:

Doinakis P, Ali L, Sjödin AK, Andiné P, Alexiou E, Wallström S

Effects of the violence prevention intervention TERMA in forensic psychiatric inpatient care: protocol for an observational study

JMIR Preprints. 21/03/2025:74295

DOI: 10.2196/preprints.74295

URL: https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/74295

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