Work-related violence interventions in the disability sector: A systematic review and systems mapping exercise

Violence against staff is common in the healthcare sector, as are staff training interventions aiming to reduce work-related violence (WRV). However, limited research has explored the breadth of WRV interventions for staff working in the disability sector. Therefore, the current study aimed to systematically review WRV interventions for staff working in the disability sector using a systems thinking framework, PreventiMap, which is an adaption of Rasmussen’s Risk Management framework. The goal of this research was to identify opportunities to support systemic change in the sector to support the safety of workers. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach, a comprehensive search strategy and eligibility criteria were applied across five databases. After screening, a total of 22 intervention studies were included for systematic review. Included studies were synthesised narratively and using the systems thinking PreventiMap technique. The efficacy of interventions was variable, as was the methodological quality of included studies. Most intervention studies (n = 20, 90.1 %) explored staff training, with very few (n = 4, 18.2 %) exploring management or company level WRV interventions. Therefore, it is recommended that organizations implement more holistic WRV interventions that address higher system levels and evaluate their effectiveness using more rigorous designs.