BackgroundHealthcare workers have a 16 times greater risk of suffering workplace violence than workers in other sectors and around 50% experience workplace violence in the course of their career. The objective of this study is to explore the characteristics and circumstances of work-related killings of doctors.MethodsWork-related homicides of doctors over the period 1988-2019 were identified retrospectively through the Italian national statistical agencies. Variables such as perpetrator, motive and location of the crime were obtained through forensic psychiatric work. After classification, the absolute and percent values of the main characteristics of the homicides were calculated.ResultsOver the period considered, 21 doctors were killed in Italy in connection with their professional activity. In 52% (n=11) of cases, the killer was one of the doctor's patients, in 29% (n=6) of cases it was a patient's relative, in 19% (n=4) an occasional patient (first consultation). The location of the homicide was a community clinic in 48% (n=10) of cases, the street in 19% (n=4) of cases, the doctor's home in 14% (n=3), the hospital in 14% (n=3) and the patient's home in 5% (n=1). In 57% (n=12) of cases the perpetrator was not affected by any mental disorders. The motive for the homicide was revenge in 66.7% (n=14) of cases; in 28.6% (n=6) the revenge was preceded by stalking.ConclusionsDoctors should be aware that the risk of being killed is not limited to hospital settings and that their patients' family members might also pose a threat to them.

Six things to know about the homicides of doctors: a review of 30 years from Italy / Lorettu, Liliana; Nivoli, Alessandra; Daga, Irma; Milia, Paolo; Depalmas, Cristiano; Nivoli, Giancarlo; Bellizzi, Saverio. - In: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH. - ISSN 1471-2458. - 21:1(2021), p. 1318. [10.1186/s12889-021-11404-5]

Six things to know about the homicides of doctors: a review of 30 years from Italy

Lorettu, Liliana;Nivoli, Alessandra;Milia, Paolo;Depalmas, Cristiano;Nivoli, Giancarlo;
2021-01-01

Abstract

BackgroundHealthcare workers have a 16 times greater risk of suffering workplace violence than workers in other sectors and around 50% experience workplace violence in the course of their career. The objective of this study is to explore the characteristics and circumstances of work-related killings of doctors.MethodsWork-related homicides of doctors over the period 1988-2019 were identified retrospectively through the Italian national statistical agencies. Variables such as perpetrator, motive and location of the crime were obtained through forensic psychiatric work. After classification, the absolute and percent values of the main characteristics of the homicides were calculated.ResultsOver the period considered, 21 doctors were killed in Italy in connection with their professional activity. In 52% (n=11) of cases, the killer was one of the doctor's patients, in 29% (n=6) of cases it was a patient's relative, in 19% (n=4) an occasional patient (first consultation). The location of the homicide was a community clinic in 48% (n=10) of cases, the street in 19% (n=4) of cases, the doctor's home in 14% (n=3), the hospital in 14% (n=3) and the patient's home in 5% (n=1). In 57% (n=12) of cases the perpetrator was not affected by any mental disorders. The motive for the homicide was revenge in 66.7% (n=14) of cases; in 28.6% (n=6) the revenge was preceded by stalking.ConclusionsDoctors should be aware that the risk of being killed is not limited to hospital settings and that their patients' family members might also pose a threat to them.
2021
Six things to know about the homicides of doctors: a review of 30 years from Italy / Lorettu, Liliana; Nivoli, Alessandra; Daga, Irma; Milia, Paolo; Depalmas, Cristiano; Nivoli, Giancarlo; Bellizzi, Saverio. - In: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH. - ISSN 1471-2458. - 21:1(2021), p. 1318. [10.1186/s12889-021-11404-5]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Six things to know about thehomicide.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione finale pubblicata)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 807.38 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
807.38 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11388/308569
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 6
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 5
social impact