Perception of Psychological and Physical Violence among Workers of Private Emergency Units in Chile

Introduction: Violence is an extremely diffuse and complex issue that has a worldwide effect, with a prevalence increasing considerably. Specifically, workplace violence is a relevant problem because of the multiple consequences it can have on people, institutions, and society. Aim: To determine the perception of labor violence and associated factors, in emergency units of private health facilities. Methods: Cross-sectional, explanatory study, using 130 workers from private emergency units in the south central of Chile, data was collected through a questionnaire, which was organized into two sections: a) Bio-economic and workplace variables and b) the health sector workplace questionnaire. International bioethical principles were respected throughout the research. Results: The violence with the highest prevalence in this study group was psychological violence (54.6%). For the inferential analysis, associations were tested using the chi square and the Fisher's test. A model of logistic regression was also tested, which led to a significant result (p≤0,05) on the variable age, the way it belongs and concern for violence, which increases the risk of psychological violence (p≤0,05). Conclusions: Participants reported that physical and psychological violence were the most frequent type of violence experienced. For both types of violence, the client was identified as the primary perpetrator. It is pointed out that these findings can be very useful for private health institutions and care management, by providing empirical inputs to make decisions regarding the health work environment.