Psychiatric services identified as high-risk area for nurse aggression

Recent data indicates that psychiatric services have become a primary site for aggression against healthcare workers, surpassing emergency departments. According to a 2025 study published in the journal Healthcare, psychiatric services accounted for 36.2% of analyzed incidents, compared to 33.4% in emergency rooms. Nurses were identified as the most affected professionals, representing 76.6% of those involved in these episodes.

In the Emilia-Romagna region, psychiatric diagnosis and care services (SPDC) were identified as high-risk areas, recording 278.2 incidents per 100,000 inpatient days in 2025. Regional reports show that 89.1% of recorded aggressions involved verbal violence, while 28.1% involved physical violence. In 68.3% of these cases, the aggressor was a patient or user.

Similar trends were noted in the Veneto region's 2026 White Book, which highlighted vulnerabilities in psychiatric services, addiction services, and REMS facilities. Antonio De Palma, president of Nursing Up, emphasized that the high frequency of these incidents challenges the common perception that aggression is primarily a phenomenon of emergency rooms.