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| Theme cluster | Significant statements |
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| Emotional violence | “The patients did not act up, but they knew where I was and gossiped about me such that I was able to hear. It made me conscious of them.” (Participant 3) |
| “A patient demanded an apology from me. I apologised to her, but she did not accept it. She needed my apology repeatedly.” (Participant 6) |
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| Physical violence | “The patients slapped my cheek or pulled my hair... They suddenly dropped something loudly, kicked a trash can, or threw the pills to the ground.” (Participant 1) |
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| Sexual harassment | “A male patient touched my thigh while I moved among the chairs.” (Participant 1) |
| (Participant 4) |
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| Verbal violence | They also mocked her saying, “It is the reason why she isn't married yet.” |
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| Predictable factors | “I think that patients with mental illness cannot control their impulses. If they fail to regulate their emotions, it causes violence.” (Participant 2) |
| “Mental health wards are restrictive in nature, and patients cannot go outside freely. Thus, they are prone to project their emotions onto nurses, such as feeling suppressed or stressed.” (Participant 5) |
| “Trivial words or a slip of the tongue might incite patient violence. I realised that speaking carefully to patients is important.” (Participant 6) |
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| Unpredictable factors | “The patient asked me help to stand up. Thus, I approached the patient. But she suddenly grasped my hair and choked my neck. I never expected it.” (Participant 7) |
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| Physical injuries | “My cornea was torn by the violence.” (Participant 7) |
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| Psychological response | “I felt shame and thought that the patient ignored me as a therapist. I do not want to think about whether the patient acted intentionally. I have to provide care to them in any case. If a patient had the intention to hurt me, it would influence my motivation. However, if I consider it a psychotic symptom, it would be simple because I just continue with my job.” (Participant 1) |
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| Seeking support | “Hospital administrators think that employees should endure violence. I think this culture requires changed. It was the hospital’s duty to compensate when an employee was injured. However, the hospital did not do it.” (Participant 5) |
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| Common and frequent | “I have been exposed to violence every day. It is natural what patients curse me after drinking. Verbal violence occurs every day.” (Participant 5) |
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| Hiding incidents | “My injuries were invisible, and I was not bleeding (laughing). In addition, there was no closed-circuit television in the hospital rooms. Thus, I decided to hide my injury.” (Participant 4) |
| “I felt helpless because patient violence is not managed actively, and the situation will not improve. Therefore, I manage violence as much as possible and do not expect any changes.” (Participant 1) |
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| Vulnerability of nurses to violence | “The only people who can understand the patients are the therapists. How could we sue them? We are like a family. They do not have any real family or income. I do not want to give them to experience failure, and I want them to continue with treatments. I have to do my duty because I am a nurse, even if they attacked me.” (Participant 1) |
| “After my colleagues blamed me, I doubted myself and though “It might be my fault. I should have been more careful.” My behaviour might incite violence.” (Participant 7) |
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