Staff emotional reactions and experiences towards challenging behaviour: an interview study

Abstract

More and more attention is given to the psychological effects of challenging behaviour on others. Staff members’ emotional reactions and experiences are important variables in this context, and need to be studied using direct measurement of staff exposure to challenging behaviours. In this study, 12 staff members were confronted with video recordings of their own behaviour in situations, in which a client was showing challenging behaviour. They were interviewed about their emotions and emotional experiences. Next to positive and negative emotions, staff members often mentioned the importance of the help they received from their colleagues. Some emotions were linked to the frequency of the challenging behaviour, and often, staff members referred to thoughts, questions, and doubts that were playing in their head.

Keywords:

• Staff
• Emotional reactions
• Experiences
• Challenging behaviour

The authors wish to thank all the staff members, Kristien Hermans, Soetkin Heylen, Ine Hostyn, and Anneleen Penne for their contribution to this manuscript.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Greet Lambrechts

Correspondence to: G Lambrechts, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Andreas Vesaliusstraat 2, P.O. Box 3765, B- 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Email: [email protected]