Perceptions of Dangerousness

We hope to find new ways for the mental health system to think about violence, aggression and danger which promote equity and safety for both consumers and nurses.

Associate Professor Bridget Hamilton, and Consumer Academic Indigo Daya, are leading a research project about perceptions of dangerousness held by nurses and consumers in mental health settings.

The project will look at how consumers and nurses see themselves and each other:

  • We want to find out what ‘being dangerous’ means to consumers and nurses.
  • We want to find fair and safe ways to talk about violence and aggression in mental health services.
  • We will use photographs, written captions and group discussion in the research.

We're recruiting participants now.

If you’re a consumer, click here to find out more

If you’re a nurse, read on for more information.

Do you have experience of restrictive practices and aggression in mental health inpatient services? You may be interested in participating in this research project.

Photo-voice. We’ll ask you to take photos about your perceptions, write captions for the photos, then talk about these with other nurses in workshops.

The expected time commitment for participants is 6-8 hours, including:

  • 1-hour information session (optional, you can talk to us by phone instead if you prefer)
  • 2-3 hours to take photos and write descriptions
  • 2 x 2-hour workshop

Read more about the project in this flyer.

Eligibility. There are eligibility criteria to participate in this project.

Eligibility criteria for nurses:

  1. You have been a mental health nurse at an inpatient mental health service.
  2. You have experienced restrictive practices and aggression in inpatient mental health services.
  3. You are 18 years or over.
  4. You have not, in the previous three months, needed to access any supports related to aggression in the workplace, e.g., sick/personal leave, Workcover, or similar interventions.

Expressions of interest. You can express your interest in participating via the link below:

Online expression of interest form

Need more information?

Contact us at the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing:

Information for consumers who may want to participate in the project can be found here: VMIAC website

Funding and support

This project is funded by a grant from the Melbourne Social Equity Institute.

VMIAC is a partner in this research project