Assessing Intimidation Using a Brief Intrusiveness Measure

Aims: Patient intrusiveness has been associated with violence in psychiatric services and perceived intrusiveness may undermine therapeutic environments even without threatened violence. We assessed whether this construct was considered useful and quantifiable in a State Hospital setting. Methods: Staff members were asked to rate their perceptions of the intrusiveness of each patient using a single Likert-type item. Results: Staff from multiple disciplines found the indicator to have face validity and to be readily scorable. Ratings among staff varied moderately as did repeated ratings. The measure showed significant, albeit modest, associations with aggressive incidents (r=0.50; p<0.01). It appeared to track positive environmental change on the unit over time. Clinical Implications: Intrusiveness warrants investigation as an independent construct. The readily administered indicator shows promise for assessing patient and staff needs.