Psychologist homicide victims: The National Violent Death Reporting System and other sources

William N. Robiner; Tiffany Li

doi:10.1002/jclp.23199

Psychologist homicide victims: The National Violent Death Reporting System and other sources

William N. Robiner, Tiffany Li

Medicine - Geriatrics, Palliative and Primary Care (GPPC)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Homicide of healthcare workers has been reported but little is known about psychologists as victims of homicide. This study aimed to investigate what is known about homicide of psychologists. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) provides insights into violent deaths, including homicide. This study interrogated the NVDRS and conducted Internet searches about psychologist decedents of homicide. Results: Between 2003 and 2018 the NVDRS identified 12 psychologist homicides. Internet searches revealed 15 psychologist homicides. Only three (11.1%) were known to have been killed by current or former patients. Another was by a colleague's patient. Another assailant was suspected to be a patient. We summarize patterns and circumstances of deaths, address issues related to violence in healthcare, and review selected resources addressing violence prevention. Conclusion: Psychologists, like other health professionals, may be victims of homicide. Such deaths have diverse contributing factors and are rarely perpetrated by patients. As concern about health professional safety mounts and the NVDRS becomes better established, it will hopefully become a more sensitive, precise, comprehensive and useful mechanism for tracking trends in violent deaths of psychologists and other health professionals and ultimately inform preventative strategies.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	167-183
Number of pages	17
Journal	Journal of clinical psychology
Volume	78
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23199
State	Published - Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge with appreciation the staff and support of the CDC and the cooperating state organizations that contribute to the National Violent Death Reporting System NVDRS and facilitate access to it. The findings, however, are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. We acknowledge the helpful editorial guidance of Rachel Barnes, PhD that enhanced the article.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC

Keywords

death
homicide
murder
psychologist
violence
workplace

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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abstract = "Objective: Homicide of healthcare workers has been reported but little is known about psychologists as victims of homicide. This study aimed to investigate what is known about homicide of psychologists. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) provides insights into violent deaths, including homicide. This study interrogated the NVDRS and conducted Internet searches about psychologist decedents of homicide. Results: Between 2003 and 2018 the NVDRS identified 12 psychologist homicides. Internet searches revealed 15 psychologist homicides. Only three (11.1%) were known to have been killed by current or former patients. Another was by a colleague's patient. Another assailant was suspected to be a patient. We summarize patterns and circumstances of deaths, address issues related to violence in healthcare, and review selected resources addressing violence prevention. Conclusion: Psychologists, like other health professionals, may be victims of homicide. Such deaths have diverse contributing factors and are rarely perpetrated by patients. As concern about health professional safety mounts and the NVDRS becomes better established, it will hopefully become a more sensitive, precise, comprehensive and useful mechanism for tracking trends in violent deaths of psychologists and other health professionals and ultimately inform preventative strategies.",

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