The Relationship Between Violence Tendency Levels and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the tendency toward violence and intolerance of uncertainty levels in patients presenting to emergency departments and associated factors.

Methods: The study was a descriptive, cross-sectional design. The research sample consisted of 315 patients who had presented to the emergency department. Data were collected using the patient descriptive characteristics form, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12, and the violence tendency scale.

Results: The average age of the patients was 35.52 (SD = 17.2) years. Of the sample, 56.8% were male, 57.5% were single, and 37.8% were high school graduates. Multiple regression analysis identified significant predictors of violence tendency, including being single (β = .135; P = .012), lower educational status (β = -.199; P < .001), lower satisfaction with emergency services (β = -.133; P = .015), higher prospective anxiety (β = .175; P = .004), and higher inhibitory anxiety (β = .130; P = .029).

Discussion: This study highlights the importance of understanding violence tendency in emergency departments from the patient's perspective, revealing key factors such as intolerance of uncertainty, satisfaction with care, and sociodemographic characteristics. It is recommended that health managers take measures to increase patient satisfaction as well as raise social awareness and develop strategies to prevent violence against health care workers.