Aggression and violence against home care workers

This article describes the development of the Violence and Aggression in Health Care Questionnaire (VAQ) and the application of the measure in the field of home care. In a 1st sample of 361 German home care workers, the scales of the VAQ reached internal consistencies from .72 to .93. A confirmatory factor analysis gave evidence to the hypothesized factor structure. Significant correlation with indicators of psychophysical strain and health resulted in a 2nd sample of 180 home care workers. In multiple regression analysis based on a 3rd sample of 180 home care workers, verbal aggression by patients was a significant predictor of negative psychological outcomes. The relationship is completely mediated by negative emotional reactions after aggressive incidents.