Experiences of violence and mental health

This research paper examines the experiences of violence and the mental health of staff at Caritas Vienna's 'Zweite Gruft', which works with non-entitled EU citizens. It focuses on the impact on day-to-day work and appropriate prevention measures. Violence against social care workers is a neglected issue in German-speaking countries, even though it cannot be ruled out in everyday working life. This study examines the organisation and its target group, and provides an overview of the concept of violence - including its forms, causes and consequences - as well as prevention measures, safety precautions and de-escalation methods. The legal framework and the concept of aggression - the precursor to violence - are also explained. The findings of the empirical section focus on social care workers' understanding of violence, the causes of violent incidents and the institutional context. Based on these findings and the staff's suggestions for improvement, appropriate violence prevention measures are formulated.