The effectiveness of the de-escalation model in simple form in an inpatient psychiatric unit: A quasi-experimental study

The de-escalation model is designed to ensure a safe clinical environment and effectively address aggression in the long term by transforming the clinical climate. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the De-escalation Model in Simple Form for aggression management in psychiatric services. The research used a pre-test–post-test control group experimental design involving 128 persons displaying aggressive behavior. In the experimental group, implementation of the model reduced the rate of verbal aggression from 98.4% to 84.4%, physical aggression from 25% to 10.9%, and the need for chemical restraint from 64.2% to 48.4%, while completely eliminating the need for mechanical restraint. The mean verbal aggression score was 8.16±5.67 in the intervention group and 9.73±7.39 in the control group, with no statistically significant difference. However, the mean physical aggression score was 0.64±1.41 in the intervention group and 2.39±3.88 in the control group; the mean chemical restraint score was 2.52±3.20 in the intervention group and 6.91±5.07 in the control group. These differences were significant. The model is an effective method for managing aggression.