Table 1

Ward characteristics


Participating wards (N = 24)
Non-participating wards (N = 58)*

Number of Beds mean (SD)
16.1 (± 2.4)
16.8 (± 4.1)
Nursing staff (FTE) per bed
0.77 (± 2.2)
0.72 (± 2.4)
Proportion of wards always closed
15 (62.5%)
28 (30.4%)
Proportion of wards with ≥ seclusion room
22 (95.7%)
42 (80.8%)
Aggression rated as


- no/very small problem
0 (.0%))
10 (17.2%
- small or medium problem
11 (45.8%)
31 (53.4%)
- big/very big problem
13 (54.2%)
17 (29.3%)
Resources for aggression-management rated as


- sufficient
17 (70.8%)
47 (81.0%)
- unsufficient
17 (29.2%)
11 (19.0%)

* missing information on 5 of the 87 non-participating wards

Abderhalden et al. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health 2007 3:30   doi:10.1186/1745-0179-3-30