Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Wards Research Articles

Patient responsiveness as a safewards fidelity indicator: a qualitative interview study on an acute psychiatric in-patient ward

BackgroundThe Safewards model aims to reduce conflict and use of containment on psychiatric wards. To evaluate the implementation of Safewards and understand why it is effective in some settings but not in others, it is important to assess the level of implementation fidelity. To do this, the Safewards Fidelity Checklist (SFC) is often used, which focuses on objective visual observations of interventions but does not include patient responsiveness. The latter is a key indicator of implementation fidelity and includes engagement, relevance, acceptability and usefulness. The aim of the present study was to investigate the fidelity of Safewards implementation on an acute psychiatric ward from the perspective of patient responsiveness.MethodThe study was conducted on a ward for patients with mainly affective disorders. To assess the general level of fidelity the SFC was used together with a detailed ward walkthrough. Ten patients were interviewed with a focus on patient responsiveness to each of the seven interventions implemented on the ward. Data were analysed using qualitative descriptive analysis.ResultsThe findings indicate high implementation fidelity, which was reflected in the SFC assessment, walkthrough and patient responsiveness. Patients gave examples of improvements that had happened over time or of the ward being better than other wards. They felt respected, less alone, hopeful and safe. They also described supporting fellow patients and taking responsibility for the ward climate. However, some patients were unfamiliar with a ward where so much communication was expected. Several suggestions were made about improving Safewards.ConclusionsThis study confirms previous research that patient responsiveness is an important factor for achieving fidelity in a prevention programme. The patients’ descriptions of the acceptability, relevance and usefulness of the specific interventions reflected to a high degree the objective visual observations made by means of the SFC and ward walkthrough. Patient engagement was demonstrated by several suggestions about how to adapt the interventions. There is potential to obtain valuable input from patients when adapting Safewards in practice. This study also presents many examples of practical work with these interventions and the effects it can have on patients’ experiences of care.

OPCAT: How an international treaty regarding torture is relevant to the Australian mental health system.

The United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture visits signatory nations to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). Its role is to monitor and support signatory nations in implementing and complying with the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). In October 2022, the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture visited Australia but was barred from visiting mental health wards in Queensland and all detention facilities in New South Wales leading to the termination of its visit. This breach of Australia's obligations under the OPCAT presents a significant setback for the rights of people with mental illness and other involuntarily detained populations. This piece sets out to demonstrate the relevance of OPCAT to the mental health system in Australia. Individuals who are detained for compulsory treatment in locked facilities such as acute psychiatric inpatient wards and forensic mental health facilities are deprived of their liberty, often out of public view. Thus, it highlights the ethical and professional obligations of all mental health professionals, especially psychiatrists, to safeguard the human rights of individuals being detained in mental health facilities as enshrined in Australia's international legal obligations under the OPCAT. Adhering to these obligations diminishes the risk of future human rights violations of people with mental illness.

Are early post-discharge physician contacts associated with 30-day psychiatric re-hospitalisation? A nationwide claims data based retrospective cohort study in Austria free of immortal time bias.

Cost containment and quality of care considerations have increased research interest in the potential preventability of early re-hospitalisations. Various registry-based retrospective cohort studies on psychiatric re-hospitalisation have focused on the role of early post-discharge service contacts, but either did not consider their time-dependent nature ('immortal time bias') or evaded the issue by analysing late re-hospitalisations. The present study takes care of the immortal time bias in studying early psychiatric re-hospitalisations. In a retrospective cohort study using nationwide electronic claims data in Austria, 10,689 adults discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient wards were followed up for 30days. Cox regression analyses were performed with post-discharge psychiatric and general practitioner contacts as time-dependent covariates and time to first psychiatric re-hospitalisation as outcome. Post-discharge ambulatory physician contacts were significantly associated with a decreased psychiatric re-hospitalisation rate (hazard ratio 0.77 [95% CI 0.69; 0.87], p<0.0001), with similarly strong contributions to this association by general practitioners and psychiatrists. Despite avoiding the immortal time bias and controlling for several confounders, we suggest to be cautious with a causal interpretation of the identified association, since potentially relevant confounders, such as disease severity, were unavailable in our claims data base.

Female patient violence experienced by female qualified nurses working in an inpatient psychiatric department.

Whilst there is an increasing prevalence of healthcare staff facing aggression, psychiatric nurses are thought to be most at risk; with such events being a hazard to their physical, emotional and psychological health. This study explored how patient violence is experienced by qualified nurses employed in an in-patient psychiatric facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). As male and female patients and nurses are segregated in Saudi healthcare settings, this study focused on female patient violence against female psychiatric nurses. Both the immediate and more long-term impacts were explored, together with approaches that could potentially facilitate avoiding, reducing and managing aggression within the work setting. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive design and used purposive sampling to recruit nine psychiatric nurses working in an in-patient setting, from a single KSA medical facility. Inclusion criteria required participants to be licensed, registered nurses, who, during the last 10 years, had worked in an acute in-patient psychiatric ward for adult females, and to have experienced some form of patient aggression. Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were used to gather data, which was then subjected to thematic analysis. Two dominant themes were identified: (i) occurrence of violence and (ii) determination of violence. It was concluded that female psychiatric nurses were adversely affected by aggression towards them from female patients. Although the nurses considered this behaviour to be part of their nursing role, they reported minimal support from institutional managers, peers and their relatives.

Increased violence and aggression levels during the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic; data from three London acute psychiatric inpatient facilities.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted mental health services, with the literature reporting an increase in the incidence of psychiatric admissions.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic on clinical presentations, characteristics of admission and incidents occurring in three acute inpatient mental health facilities in the UK.MethodsThis was a retrospective study comparing data from the first and third UK lockdown to the five years prior to the pandemic. Data was acquired from electronic clinical records and addressed two acute psychiatric inpatient wards and one psychiatric intensive care unit. Key outcomes of comparison were clinical presentations, number of admissions, length of hospital stay, number of incidents and characteristics of incidents.ResultsCompared to the previous 5 years, a higher number of incidents characterized by violence and aggression were reported during the first (56.8% vs 44.3%, x2=16.56, df=1, p&lt;0.001) and third lockdown (100.0% vs 86.2%, x2=36.40, df=1, p&lt;0.001). An increase in non-psychotic disorders was observed in the first lockdown (20.0% vs 13.1%, x2=4.76, df=1, p=0.029), whilst increased first episode psychosis (19.7% vs 11.3%, x2=8.1, df=1, p=0.004) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (74.4% vs 57.2%, x2= 7.6, df=1, p=0.006) were diagnosed during the third lockdown. There were no significant changes in the diagnosis of mood disorders in both lockdowns compared to previously. The median length of inpatient stay significantly reduced during the first lockdown (28 days vs 36 days, x2= 7.66, df=1, p=0.006).ConclusionsIncreased inpatient incidents may be explained by the impact of the pandemic on staffing levels and resources, combined with increased emotional distress amongst patients in the face of uncertainty. The pandemic may have increased substance misuse potentially linked with the increased incidence of first episode psychosis.Disclosure of InterestS. Bonaccorso: None Declared, O. Ajnakina: None Declared, A. Ricciardi: None Declared, S. Ouabbou: None Declared, J. Wilson: None Declared, C. Theleritis: None Declared, M. Badhan: None Declared, A. Metastasio: None Declared, N. Stewart: None Declared, M. Barczyck: None Declared, F. Johansson: None Declared, T. Tharmaraja: None Declared, F. Schifano Speakers bureau of: Prof. Fabrizio Schifano is a member of the European Medical Agency

Brief App-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Symptoms in Psychiatric Inpatients: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Psychiatric inpatients often have limited access to psychotherapeutic education or skills for managing anxiety, a common transdiagnostic concern in severe and acute mental illness. COVID-19-related restrictions further limited access to therapy groups on inpatient psychiatric units. App-based interventions may improve access, but evidence supporting the feasibility of their use, acceptability, and effectiveness in psychiatric inpatient settings is limited. MindShift CBT is a free app based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles with evidence for alleviating anxiety symptoms in the outpatient setting. We aimed to recruit 24 participants from an acute general psychiatric inpatient ward to a 1-month randomized control study assessing the feasibility and acceptability of providing patients with severe and acute mental illness access to the MindShift CBT app for help with managing anxiety symptoms. Recruitment, data collection, analysis, and interpretation were completed collaboratively by clinician and peer researchers. Inpatients were randomized to two conditions: treatment as usual (TAU) versus TAU plus use of the MindShift CBT app over 6 days. We collected demographic and quantitative data on acceptability and usability of the intervention. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress were measured in pre- and poststudy surveys for preliminary signals of efficacy. We conducted individual semistructured interviews with participants in the MindShift CBT app group at the end of their trial period, which were interpreted using a standardized protocol for thematic analysis. Over 4 weeks, 33 inpatients were referred to the study, 24 consented to participate, 20 were randomized, and 11 completed the study. Of the 9 randomized participants who did not complete the study, 7 were withdrawn because they were discharged or transferred prior to study completion, with a similar distribution among both conditions. Among the enrolled patients, 65% (13/20) were admitted for a psychotic disorder and no patient was admitted primarily for an anxiety disorder. The average length of stay was 20 days (SD 4.4; range 3-21) and 35% (7/20) of patients were involuntarily admitted to hospital. Small sample sizes limited accurate interpretation of the efficacy data. Themes emerging from qualitative interviews included acceptability and usability of the app, and patient agency associated with voluntary participation in research while admitted to hospital. Our study benefitted from collaboration between peer and clinician researchers. Due to rapid patient turnover in the acute inpatient setting, additional flexibility in recruitment and enrollment is needed to determine the efficacy of using app-based psychotherapy on an acute psychiatric ward. Despite the limited sample size, our study suggests that similar interventions may be feasible and acceptable for acutely unwell inpatients. Further study is needed to compare the efficacy of psychotherapeutic apps with existing standards of care in this setting. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04841603; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04841603.

Implementing a Physical Health Clinic on an Acute Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Ward

AimsAcute Inpatient Psychiatric Wards present the challenge of a high turnover of patients who have multiple physical health comorbidities that both contribute to patients’ overall morbidity and may exacerbate any mental illness. Furthermore, there are a number of physical health parameters which must be checked and monitored in the initiation of psychiatric treatments. It is therefore important that patients receive physical examination, blood tests and Electrocardiograms (ECGs). The busy environment of inpatient units and the acute presentation of patients, who often decline interventions, lack capacity or cannot communicate their physical health problems, mean these assessments are often missed when offered in an ad hoc fashion. This Quality Improvement Project looked at implementing a Physical Health Clinic to look at whether this structured environment would provide better coverage of these physical health assessments.MethodsThe number of physical examinations, blood tests and ECGs both offered but declined and successfully obtained was measured on an Inpatient Ward with 20 patients and 2 junior doctors over 2 weeks with assessments being offered in an ad hoc fashion. Following this, a structured clinic run by a doctor and nurse with three 20 minute appointments three times a week was implemented and the same data collected over 2 weeks. A paired T-test was used to evaluate the results.ResultsThere was a statistically significant increase in the number of successfully obtained physical examinations, bloods tests and ECGs when the Physical Health Clinic was implemented (Mean difference = 7.33, Two tailed P value = 0.0480,95% confidence interval 0.16–14.50, t = 4.4, df = 2, standard error of difference = 1.667). However, there was no difference between the number of bloods, examinations and ECGs offered but declined (Mean difference = 4.83, Two tailed P value = 0.2495, 95% confidence interval −3.92–8.58, t = 1.6059, df = 2, standard error of difference = 1.453).ConclusionThe clinic led to a statistically significant increase in the number of examinations, blood tests and ECGs successfully obtained. The reasons for this are hypothesized that having a structured clinic prepares the patient to have a physical assessment and ensures their availability, provides motivation for staff and increases the efficiency of assessments with appropriate teamwork between doctors and nurses. Issues with the Clinic are limited availability of junior doctor and nursing staff and emergencies disrupting the functioning of the clinic. Implementing the clinic on a wider scale is required to assess its effectiveness.

Improving COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Service Users Admitted to an Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Ward

AimsIt is well known that individuals suffering from mental illness have more comorbidities and lower life expectancies compared to the general population. It is unsurprising therefore, that these individuals are more vulnerable to both contracting COVID-19, and developing severe illness if infected. When patients are admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit this offers an invaluable opportunity to ensure that unvaccinated patients are identified, and if consenting, are supported to receive whichever dose of the vaccine they require. We undertook an audit to examine the proportion of patients admitted who had not received their first, second or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Reviewed in the context of gender, age, ethnicity, legal status, mental health diagnoses and additional comorbidities, in order to determine any trends that might assist in improving uptake. We then repeated the audit aiming to offer the appropriate COVID-19 vaccination to every newly admitted unvaccinated patient. If refused, to then council reluctant patients, providing simple, understandable vaccine information, and to re-offer vaccination.MethodsThe audit took place on a mixed adult psychiatric inpatient ward in London.The first cycle of the audit was completed retrospectively. Data were collected from the electronic notes of new admissions from November and December 2021 (total 41). This included information on COVID-19 vaccination status, and documentation of vaccines offered and administered during admission. Additional information was also compiled to calculate risk stratification scores.Subsequently, we repeated the audit cycle for admissions in January and February 2022 (on-going). However, this time with the aim that all patients have their COVID-19 vaccination status documented promptly, and that their next vaccination is offered/administered during admission if required.ResultsResults from the initial audit cycle showed 33/41 patients had not received a full set of COVID-19 vaccinations (or no vaccination record found). Only 6/33 unvaccinated patients were offered the next vaccination during admission, and 3/33 actually received one. 21/33 patients without a full set of vaccinations were BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic).Initial results from the second cycle showed an improvement in the number of patients offered the vaccine. 5/10 unvaccinated patients were offered vaccines in January, however data collection is ongoing.ConclusionAlthough our data set is not yet complete, initial results show that a simple intervention such as early identification of unvaccinated patients on admission, can act as a prompt to clinicians to ensure vaccines are offered. Thereby, increasing vaccine compliance in this vulnerable patient group.

Searching for factors associated with the “Revolving Door phenomenon” in the psychiatric inpatient unit: A 5-year retrospective cohort study

The revolving door (RD) phenomenon refers to subjects who undergo frequent rehospitalizations in psychiatric units. The main aim of this study was to analyze clinical factors associated with RD in acute inpatient psychiatric ward. In a 5-year cohort study, subjects hospitalized three or more times in 12 months (revolving door subjects-RDS) were identified. A total of 1,324 subjects were hospitalized. RDS represented 6.3% (n = 84) of the entire sample with a total of 337 RD hospitalizations (revolving door hospitalizations-RDH) (16.7% of all admissions). RDS were younger, unmarried, with comorbid substance related disorders, with mood or psychotic disorders and affected by comorbid medical conditions. After controlling for age, sex and marital status, the most strongly associated variable with RDH was the comorbidity between mood and substance use disorders. Other associated factors were the presence of a comorbid medical condition and a longer length of stay. The commitment to community residential facilities and the treatment with a first generation long-acting antipsychotic were also associated with RDH. On the contrary, admissions to the psychiatric unit for manic/hypomanic episode or for self-directed harmful behavior were inversely associated with RDH. Attention should be given to these clinical variables in order to reduce RD.

Pregnancy and contraceptive questioning within acute inpatient psychiatric admissions: are we asking enough?

AimsThis audit explored how regularly women of childbearing age on an acute psychiatric inpatient ward are asked about pregnancy and contraception.BackgroundUnplanned pregnancies and poor compliance with contraception are common in women with severe mental illness, with a significant number seeking abortions or losing custody of their children. As these women are also less likely to consult medical professionals, an admission is an essential point for intervention and support.Additionally, there are risks associated with prescribing psychotropic medications during pregnancy. Because of this, The Royal College of Psychiatrists and local guidelines state that all female patients admitted onto psychiatric inpatient wards should be asked about their sexual health within seven days of admission.MethodData was collected from all 51 women of childbearing age admitted to a mixed-sex, acute adult inpatient psychiatry ward over one year, from January 2019 until the end of December 2019.Women of childbearing age were deemed to be those between the ages of 15 and 45, based on the World Health Organization's definition. However, the sample for this audit includes females aged 18–45 years due to the minimum age restrictions of the ward.All eligible female inpatients had their physical health forms and progress notes screened for documentation of whether a) the possibility of them being pregnant was explored b) if a pregnancy test was done and c) if a contraceptive history was taken.ResultOnly 57% of female patients admitted during this period were asked about their contraceptive habits. Furthermore, exploration into the possibility of pregnancy occurred in less than half of admitted patients.Further analysis was done by age; 18-26, 27-35 and 36-45, but showed minimal variation.ConclusionThis audit revealed that Royal College of Psychiatrists and local guidelines are not being met, with women not receiving the recommended assessment and counselling in regard to pregnancy and contraception.Inpatient admissions provide a valuable opportunity for identifying and preventing potential harm in the case of unplanned and undetected pregnancies. All health care professionals need to be aware of the importance of asking the above questions and ensure they are explored at some point during a patient's admission.The audit will be discussed at forthcoming Clinical Governance meeting for further recommendations followed by re-audit.

Evaluation of tobacco use and willingness to accept nicotine replacement therapy during stay in an acute inpatient psychiatric ward

AimsTo evaluate tobacco smoking and willingness to try and to accept prescription of nicotine replacement therapy during psychiatric acute inpatient stay. When free to choose and use as desired (without imposing smoking cessation) patients may be open to nicotine replacement therapy.BackgroundTobacco smoking interventions are increasingly in demand especially for difficult to treat patient populations, as are those with severe mental illness. Implementing totally smoke-free psychiatric inpatient units is challenging. Imposing smoking cessation and use of nicotine substitutes may or not be the best of strategies for smoking reduction and cessation in the mid and long term. Allowing the patient free choice as to trying and learning to use nicotine replacement therapy with supervision may constitute a more acceptable approach.MethodFrom 1/1/2020 to 28/1/2020 (four weeks), 40 of the 44 patients in a general adult psychiatric inpatient unit (4 patients were too sedated or too agitated to be evaluated), with smoking restricted to a designated area and only during the day, were briefly evaluated as to their tobacco smoking habits (cigarettes/day) and willingness to accept nicotine lozenges and patches and were invited to participate in a smoking cessation programme during or after discharge.ResultOf the 40 patients evaluated, 26 were male and 14 were female, average age was 34 years (age range from 19 to 79 years). Diagnostic hypotheses for patients at admission were: schizophrenic disorder/schizoaffective disorder 9, bipolar disorder 7, psychosis not otherwise specified 19, depressive disorder 1 and other 4. 20(50%) were current smokers and 20 (50%) were non or ex-smokers. The smokers reported smoking an average of 14 cigarettes/day. Only one patient refused to try nicotine lozenges and all other smokers accepted regular prescription of nicotine lozenges during inpatient stay. 5 patients (25% of smokers) asked for or accepted suggestion to try nicotine patches in combination therapy with nicotine lozenges with the goal of smoking cessation.ConclusionPatients were open to a brief informal intervention targeting smoking behaviours and readily accepted trying nicotine lozenges and prescription during their inpatient stay. The regular use of nicotine replacement therapy by some patients encouraged other patients to try and accept therapy. In addition to the habitual tobacco sharing among patients, nicotine lozenges were also shared especially with newly admitted patients. The evaluation of the impact of this intervention will require a much longer period of time of implementation.

Capacity to consent to admission of patients detained under Section 5(2) of the Mental Health Act

Background: Little is known regarding capacity to agree to admission of informal patients later detained under Section 5(2) of the UK Mental Health Act.&lt;br/&gt; Aim: To evaluate how frequently such capacity is assessed and to discover associations related to length of time from admission until imposition of Section 5(2).&lt;br/&gt; Method: Patients detained under Section 5(2) on acute inpatient general adult and old age psychiatric wards in one UK location between June 2016 and March 2018 were identified. Their admission records were scrutinized.&lt;br/&gt; Results: Capacity was assessed in 97 of 124 patients. Fewer assessments were performed immediately prior to admission, especially upon patients admitted from residential settings. On admission, medical staff assessed for capacity less than non-medics, but found an individual lacked capacity more frequently. Time until detention was less upon a first admission, in absence of pre-admission capacity assessment, when medical staff assessed, or when any inpatient clinician detected incapacity.&lt;br/&gt; Conclusion: Routine capacity assessment immediately prior to and at psychiatric admission should be formalized and offers potential to reduce use of Section 5(2), unlawful detention and negative sequalae.

Actigraphic recording of motor activity in depressed inpatients: a novel computational approach to prediction of clinical course and hospital discharge

Depressed patients present with motor activity abnormalities, which can be easily recorded using actigraphy. The extent to which actigraphically recorded motor activity may predict inpatient clinical course and hospital discharge remains unknown. Participants were recruited from the acute psychiatric inpatient ward at Hospital Rey Juan Carlos (Madrid, Spain). They wore miniature wrist wireless inertial sensors (actigraphs) throughout the admission. We modeled activity levels against the normalized length of admission—‘Progress Towards Discharge’ (PTD)—using a Hierarchical Generalized Linear Regression Model. The estimated date of hospital discharge based on early measures of motor activity and the actual hospital discharge date were compared by a Hierarchical Gaussian Process model. Twenty-three depressed patients (14 females, age: 50.17 ± 12.72 years) were recruited. Activity levels increased during the admission (mean slope of the linear function: 0.12 ± 0.13). For n = 18 inpatients (78.26%) hospitalised for at least 7 days, the mean error of Prediction of Hospital Discharge Date at day 7 was 0.231 ± 22.98 days (95% CI 14.222–14.684). These n = 18 patients were predicted to need, on average, 7 more days in hospital (for a total length of stay of 14 days) (PTD = 0.53). Motor activity increased during the admission in this sample of depressed patients and early patterns of actigraphically recorded activity allowed for accurate prediction of hospital discharge date.

Absconding from Public Mental Health Inpatient Units - Who Does it, and why?

Patients who abscond from acute inpatient psychiatric wards put themselves and others at risks of variable nature and severity. There is a limited understanding of what motivates them to do so. The research in this area is limited and predominantly outdated. To better understand the characteristics, patterns and predictors of people who abscond from hospital, this study compared absconding and non-absconding patients in a tertiary public hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics were audited for patients who absconded (n = 159) and who did not abscond (n = 100) throughout a 2-year period. Patients who absconded in the public settings were more likely to be male, have suffered from a psychotic illness, had an increased number of psychiatric comorbidities, had a history of aggression, and used greater numbers of substances. They also had experienced homelessness, were case managed, and were managed as involuntary patients. Predictors were similar, and included involuntary legal status, greater number of substances used, greater numbers of comorbid psychiatric illnesses, polysubstance use, an absence of self-harm history, shorter duration of admission and male sex. This study has implications for the identification of those who are at greater risk of absconding from an inpatient unit. Through enhanced understanding, greater measures can be taken to minimise absconding and its associated risks.

A feasibility study of a cross-diagnostic, CBT-based psychological intervention for acute mental health inpatients: Results, challenges, and methodological implications.

Acute psychiatric inpatient wards are characterized by minimal provision of therapeutic activities and high readmission rates. Implementation of a comprehensive inpatient psychological intervention service has been recommended to overcome these problems; however, whether this is feasible or effective remains unclear. This non-randomized parallel cluster feasibility trial examined the feasibility of delivering and evaluating cross-diagnostic psychologically informed acute psychiatric care the Edinburgh-Acute Psychological Inpatient Therapy Service (EDAPTS) and gathered preliminary clinical outcome data. Patients able to consent and complete questionnaires were recruited from two adult acute wards (i.e., clusters) and received either EDAPTS plus TAU or TAU. Between October 2015 and October 2016, 96 inpatients were recruited. Findings suggested that there were good data completion rates for several clinical outcomes, that several EDAPTS components were successfully delivered, and that some initial effects appeared to favour the intervention, depending on outcome. However, difficulties relating to the recruitment process were also identified, as well as problems relating to adequate delivery of group therapies, participant engagement in some intervention components, and data completion at follow-up. These issues, and the feasibility of randomization and rater-blinding, have important implications for the design of future trials. Overall, this study provides an important insight into the challenges and complexities of developing and evaluating a comprehensive psychological intervention service in an acute psychiatric setting. Individual therapy sessions can be delivered in the acute environment. The EDAPTS intervention showed some promise on outcomes of distress and self-efficacy. Delivery of nurse-led groups was challenging and may need to be embedded into routine clinical practice to increase intervention and outcome reach. More parameters, for example, randomization at cluster level, should be tested before progressing to an adequately powered, single-blind, definitive cluster RCT.

Reolication study: Exploring the efficacy of relaxation groups for older adults on an acute inpatient psychiatric ward

This is a replication study of a previous service evaluation of a relaxation group, conducted on an acute inpatient ward for older people experiencing a range of mental health difficulties. Attendees rated levels of relaxation before and after each relaxation group session usinga10-pointLikert scale. Analysis ofdata collected over a period ofa year found a small but significant positive effect for those who attended the relaxation group, supporting the findings of the original service evaluation. These findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of such groups and may offer a cost and time effective method for reducing anxiety on inpatient wards.

Validity of routine clinical diagnoses in acute psychiatric inpatients

AimTo examine the validity of diagnoses obtained by clinicians during routine clinical examination on acute psychiatric inpatient wards. MethodsN=100 inpatients with a broad spectrum of major mental disorders were randomly selected in a mental hospital's department of general psychiatry. Patients were diagnosed by independent assessors within Md = 5 (Range: 1–18) days of admission using the SCID I in order to examine the validity of the diagnoses given by the clinical staff based on routine assessments. ResultsThe commonly used clinical examination technique had good overall agreement with the SCID I assessments regarding primary diagnoses at the level of ICD-10 main categories (F2, F30-31, F32-F33, F4; κ = 0.65). However, agreement between routine clinical diagnoses and the SCID I diagnoses tended to be low for some specific mental disorders (e.g., depressive disorders) and for secondary diagnoses. ConclusionsThe validity of routine clinical diagnoses established in acute inpatient settings is limited and should be improved.

Enhancing the therapeutic interaction skills of staff working in acute adult inpatient psychiatric wards: Outcomes of a brief intervention education programme

Background and objective: Clinical practice in acute inpatient environments is complex and demanding for clinical staff. To facilitate service user recovery, it is essential that personnel working in these environments are competent and confident in a range of therapeutic interaction skills, which can have impact in a brief period. This paper describes an exploratory study which determined the outcomes of a brief therapeutic engagement education and training short course for staff working in adult inpatient acute wards. As far as we know this was the first time, based on evidence from earlier research involving service users that Heron’s Six Category Intervention Analysis and solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) have been combined in an education and training short course that was coproduced and delivered in partnership with service users for staff working in acute environments.Methods: The short course explored the myriad applications of the six categories of intervention initially proposed by Heron and the widespread applicability of SFBT. The programme evaluation adopted focus group methodology and examined: (1) how useful the training content was to daily practice and how relevant the skills learn were to interactions with service user residing on the ward; (2) the factors than helped enable the transference of the learning to the ward environment as well as any barriers; (3) personal learning; and (4) strengths of the learning experience and suggestions for improvement to the training and learning experience.Results: Feedback from participants reflected a high degree of skill and knowledge acquisition and enhancement. Staff found the content of the training useful and helpful to their daily practice as it aided in increasing confidence, therapeutic interventions and care-planning. Skills learnt by the trainees were considered relevant to interactions with service users residing on the ward. Factors that helped to enable encounters with service users, as well as the barriers, when transferring the learning to the ward environment were discussed and included managerial support, demand for beds, time, opportunity and staffing shortages. Regarding personal learning, staff reported feeling more able to connect with service users when employing SFBT techniques and Heron’s intervention approaches and felt that the training validated their current working practice.Conclusions: The SFBT training appears to have provided an interactional communication toolkit for healthcare professionals and could be further embraced given the right circumstances e.g. managerial support and attitude change of nursing staff in general. Further research is needed to gain an understanding of the effect of short and concentrated education and training programmes aimed at staff members working within adult acute inpatient mental healthcare settings, as well as measuring whether the activity, i.e. healthcare professional–service user interactions, is meaningful to service user outcomes.

VTE and physical health assessment upon admission to acute functional and organic psychiatric in-patient wards: An audit

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition that causes a blood clot to form within the venous blood system. If this blood clot forms in the peripheral venous system it can cause symptoms such as calf pain and swelling. If this clot becomes dislodged, it may travel through the vessels into the pulmonary artery which can have much more severe consequences.ObjectivesThere has been a great deal of effort in recent years to increase the percentage of in-patients receiving a VTE assessment; and for those patients to receive appropriate VTE prophylaxis. VTE is a significant cause of inpatient deaths. This audit aims to compare current working practice to local standards and identify learning points.MethodsVTE and physical health assessment data was collected by checking electronic admission summaries from three acute psychiatric in-patient wards on a random date in 2016. The local pathway for the management of physical health and wellbeing states that the VTE assessment and Physical Health Assessment should be completed within 6 hours of admission. NICE guidelines also state that all patients should be assessed on admission, with a standard of 100%.Results60% of patients had a VTE assessment and 54% of patients had a physical health assessment done within 6 hours of admission.ConclusionsThis audit shows that the necessary standards are not met. Importance of these assessments has been communicated during induction programmes for all staff.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Documenting the decision-making process for initiation of pharmacological VTE prophylaxis in patients admitted to an adult psychiatry ward background

BackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition that causes a blood clot to form within the venous blood system. If this blood clot forms in the peripheral venous system, it can cause symptoms such as calf pain and swelling. If this clot becomes dislodged, it may travel through the vessels into the pulmonary artery which can have much more severe consequences.ObjectivesThere has been a great deal of effort in recent years to increase the percentage of in-patients receiving a VTE assessment; and for those patients to receive appropriate VTE prophylaxis. VTE is a significant cause of inpatient deaths. This audit aims to compare current working practice to local standards and identify learning points.MethodVTE assessment data were collected from two acute psychiatric in-patient wards within a specified, random date range in 2016. Data was collected by checking paper admission documentation. NICE guidelines also state that all patients should be assessed for VTE on admission, with a standard of 100%.ResultsOverall, 6.25% of general adult psychiatry patients had a VTE assessment done within 24 hours of admission.ConclusionThis audit shows that the necessary standards are not met. Importance of these assessments will be communicated during induction programmes for all staff and the results of this audit communicated to current staff on all in-patient psychiatry wards.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.