Verbal Aggression in Healthcare Settings: Eroding Well-Being and Performance
- Marcela Peterson
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Marcela Peterson
In healthcare services, discussions often focus on workload, care pressure, and lack of resources. However, there is a silent, frequent, and deeply destructive phenomenon that affects the daily work of professionals in both primary and tertiary care: verbal aggression perpetrated by patients and family members. Research shows that this form of violence, often normalized within care environments, leaves intense emotional scars, alters how work is carried out, and compromises the psychological health of those on the front line.
Verbal aggression manifests in multiple forms, including disrespect, humiliation, shouting, insults, and unjust accusations. Even in the absence of physical contact, the subjective impact is profound. Professionals report feelings of helplessness, fear, frustration, and devaluation, which gradually undermine motivation, engagement, and the quality of care delivered. In many cases, violence becomes part of the routine, to the point of being perceived as “normal,” creating a cycle in which suffering is rendered invisible and organizations lose their capacity to respond effectively.
This emotional strain affects not only individuals but also team functioning. Following episodes of verbal aggression, many professionals change their behavior by avoiding certain situations, reducing interaction time, anticipating conflict, or adopting defensive strategies to protect their emotional integrity. While these adaptations are understandable, they may compromise communication, empathy, and the therapeutic bond—core elements of effective healthcare delivery.
The analysis also shows that verbal violence is not random. It intensifies in contexts marked by long waiting times, delays in care, communication failures, and environments in which patients feel unsupported. In this sense, aggressive behavior often reflects weaknesses within the healthcare system itself. This reality does not diminish the impact on professionals; rather, it reinforces the understanding that verbal aggression is an organizational issue, not an individual one.
A critical concern is the low rate of incident reporting. Many professionals do not report verbal aggression because they believe it “will not lead to change,” fear retaliation, or lack accessible reporting channels. The absence of concrete data hinders the development of prevention policies and fuels a sense of institutional abandonment. Without organizational support, professionals may internalize the belief that they must endure aggression alone, and this isolation significantly intensifies psychological distress.
In light of this reality, healthcare management must recognize verbal aggression as a serious psychosocial risk, deserving the same level of attention as physical or ergonomic hazards. This involves creating simple reporting procedures, offering psychological support, training teams in conflict management, improving care processes, and, above all, fostering a culture in which violence is never acceptable.
By adopting a broader and interdisciplinary perspective, HR professionals, managers, and leaders can transform healthcare environments into safer, more respectful, and more sustainable spaces. The goal is not only to protect healthcare workers but also to ensure they have the emotional conditions necessary to deliver the quality of care that society expects.
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