Social
Mentally ill patients need more attention than other patients do because they can turn
aggressive any moment. They may also be a risk to themselves and others if they are not well
observed (LaSala & Bjarnason, 2010). When aggressive behavior is directed towards health
professionals the rights of the mentally ill patients do not come first. This is because the health
professionals get perturbed and they cannot afford to offer the much time that mentally ill
patients require (Fiorillo, et al. 2011). These patients require social support so that they can
manage relationships with friends, family, and neighbors. This has to be time consuming and
thus, when the health professionals are aggressive they do not offer such time (Townsend &
Luck, 2013). This means that the rights of the mentally patients do not come first when
aggressive behavior is directed towards health professionals.
Mentally ill patients also need to be helped in local services such as peer support groups
and day centers. This is usually done by health professionals who ensure that the patients have
access to all what they require. In addition, the patients need to be checked continually so that
their behavior changes are observed (Kerridge, Lowe & McPhee, 2009). However, this is never
the case when aggressive behavior is directed towards health professionals. This is because the
patients need a friendly environment and this can never be created by aggressive caregivers.
There is no diagnosis for mentally ill patients. Even when they are in health facilities they
are only given social support so that they can recover and of most important remain probably.
They have the right to be given special attention unlike the other patients because they do not
need any diagnosis (Empie, 2002; Townsend & Luck, 2013). However, this is never the case
when aggressive behavior is directed towards health professionals. Since their moods are
3
affected they will only concentrate with the patients who need diagnosis and eventually the
mentally ill patients are left out.
Mentally ill patients are feared to be aggressive. Their moods can change any time. This
is the reason health professionals need to be around them all the time. When the health
professionals also become aggressive, then the environment created does not favor the patients
(Lachman et al. 2012; van den Boogaard, et al. 2012). An aggressive health professional cannot
deal with an aggressive patient. This may result to violence because the type of communication
between the two will not be fit for treatment of such a patient (Freegard, 2012; Sonfield, 2005).
Therefore, the mentally ill patients are ignored most when the health professionals are upset.
Lastly, medical practitioners have their ethics. For instance, they are aware that they need
to be friendly and affectionate when dealing with mentally ill patients. In most cases they will
involve friends and family members of the patient so that a friendly environment is created
(Kerridge, Lowe & McPhee, 2009; Morrison, 2009). The health professionals will not go against
their ethics and thus, they will ignore mentally patients when aggressive behavior is directed
towards them.
4
References
Empie, K. M. (2002). Workplace violence and mental illness. LFB Scholarly Publishing
LLC. ACU eBook
Fiorillo, A., De Rosa, C., Del Vecchio, V., Jurjanz, L., Schnall, K., Onchev, G., … & Kallert, T.
(2011). How to improve clinical practice on involuntary hospital admissions of
psychiatric patients: suggestions from the EUNOMIA study. European Psychiatry, 26(4),
201-207.
Freegard, H. (2012). Ethical practice for health professionals (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Cengage
Kerridge, I., Lowe, M., & McPhee, J. (2009). Ethics and law for the health professions (3rd ed.).
Sydney: The Federation Press.
Lachman, V.D., Murray, J.S., Iseminger, K., Ganske, K.M. (2012). Doing the right thing:
Pathways to moral courage. American Nurse Today, 7(5)
LaSala, C.A., & Bjarnason, D. (2010). Creating workplace environments that support moral
courage. Online Journal Issues in Nursing, 15(3),
Morrison, E. (2009). Health care ethics: Critical issues for the 21st century. (2nd ed.). Sudbury,
MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Sonfield, A. (2005). Rights vs. responsibilities: Professional standards and provider refusals. The
Guttmacher Report on Public Policy, 8(3) USA Citizen Commission on Human Rights.
(n.d.). Mental health declaration of human rights.
Tonti-Filipini, N. (2011). About bioethics: Philosophical and theological approaches. Ballan:
Connor Court Publishing.
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Townsend, R., & Luck, M. (2013). Applied paramedic law and ethics: Australia and New
Zealand. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia.
van den Boogaard, M., Schoonhoven, L., Evers, A. W., van der Hoeven, J. G., van Achterberg,
T., & Pickkers, P. (2012). Delirium in critically ill patients: Impact on long-term health-
related quality of life and cognitive functioning. Critical care Medicine