Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health and community settings

Violence and aggression

Violence and aggression are actions that can or do harm another person. They can be physical or verbal. Sometimes people with mental health problems become frustrated, upset or angry when they're in health or social care settings, and this can cause them to behave in a violent or aggressive way.

The NICE guideline sets out what care teams in health and social care settings should do if a service user with a mental health problem becomes upset or behaves in an aggressive or violent way. It describes methods care teams can use to prevent violence and aggression and how they can stop violence when it happens.

The guideline covers care teams working in psychiatric hospitals or units, hospital emergency departments and GP surgeries. It also covers care teams working elsewhere in the community, including people's homes.