A qualitative study exploring the patients' perspective from the 'Reserved Therapeutic Space' nursing intervention in acute mental health units

This study aimed to explore the perspective of people who had experienced treatment as patients at acute mental health units, regarding an intervention model to improve therapeutic relationships in the units, which had been previously designed by the nurses. The study participants were people linked to collectives for social activism in mental health. Six focus groups were held. The results were classified into three themes: (a) the meaning of a space to enable the establishment of a therapeutic relationship, (b) the procedures to implement the space, and (c) the difficulties to overcome to establish the space. For the participants, the Reserved Therapeutic Space intervention was perceived as a space where they could share expectations and needs with the nurses, considering it as both valid and useful to improve the therapeutic relationship in acute units. For the participants, the intervention should be structured in three stages: orientation, follow-up, and discharge. The content of the intervention should be proposed by the patients based on their needs and concerns. The barriers identified for carrying out the intervention were the lack of relational competence, the violation of rights, and the lack of accessibility of nurses. The facilitating elements were the availability of nurses, active listening, and empathy. The resulting intervention model includes realities of both groups, providing insights for nurses to initiate a space with patients and improve their therapeutic relationship. This intervention model could be used by managers to test its effectiveness

Espacio Terapéutico Reservado: una intervención enfermera para unidades de agudos de salud mental. Guía breve de implementación

Esta Guía breve se centra en describir la intervención Espacio Terapéutico Reservado. Esta intervención ha sido diseñada por enfermeras de salud mental y personas con experiencia propia en unidades de hospitalización de salud mental. La finalidad de la intervención es mejorar el proceso de relación terapéutica enfermera-paciente, proceso que es considerado tanto por las enfermeras como por los pacientes como el eje central de los cuidados en enfermería de salud mental. Además, se sabe que su adecuado establecimiento mejora la efectividad de cualquier intervención enfermera en la práctica clínica

Determinants of mechanical restraint in an acute psychiatric care unit

Background: Despite numerous attempts to reduce the use of mechanical restraint (MR), this technique continues to be widely applied in many acute psychiatric care settings. In order to reduce MR, a better understanding of the variables associated with its use and duration in different clinical environments is essential. Aim: To determine the proportion of patients subjected to MR and the duration thereof in two acute care psychiatric units; and to identify the variables associated with the use and duration of MR. Methods: Descriptive study of all patients admitted to the acute psychiatric units at the Parc de Salut Mar (Barcelona, Spain) in the year 2018. The number and percentage of patients subjected to MR, as well as the duration of each episode were assessed. The following data were also registered: sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnosis, and presence of cultural and/or language barriers. Multivariate analyses were performed to assess determinants of MR and its duration. Results: Of the 464 patients, 119 (25.6%) required MR, with a median of 16.4 h per MR. Two factors - a diagnosis of psychotic disorder [Odds ratios (OR) = 0.22; 95%CI: 0.06-0.62; P = 0.005] and the presence of a language barrier (OR = 2.13; 95%CI: 1.2-3.7; P = 0.007) - were associated with a significantly higher risk of MR. Male sex was associated with a longer duration of MR (B = -19.03; 95%CI: -38.06-0.008; P = 0.05). Conclusion: The presence of a language barrier and a psychotic disorder diagnosis are associated with a significantly higher risk of MR. Furthermore, male sex is associated with a longer duration of MR. Individualized restraint protocols that include the required tools are necessary to ultimately limit the use of mechanical restraint

Impact of the 'reserved therapeutic space' nursing intervention on patient health outcomes: An intervention study in acute mental health units.

Aims To evaluate the effectiveness of the ‘reserved therapeutic space’ intervention for improving the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship in acute mental health units in Spain. Design Multicentre intervention study with control group. Methods The study will be carried out in 12 mental health units. The ‘reserved therapeutic space’ intervention to be tested has been co-designed and validated by both nurses and patients. The quality of the therapeutic relationship, the care received and perceived coercion among patients will be assessed. An estimated 131 patients per group are expected to participate. Funding was granted by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Co-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (PI21/00605)) and College of Nurses of Barcelona (PR-487/2021). The proposal was approved by all the Research Ethics Committees of participating centres. Results This project will lead to changes in clinical practice, transforming the current models of organization and care management in mental health hospitalization units. No patient or public contribution

The Nurse-Patient Relationship in Nursing Documentation: The Scope and Quality of Interactions and Prevalent Interventions in Inpatient Mental Health Units

Aims. (i) To evaluate the scope and quality of nurse-patient interactions recorded in the clinical notes of inpatient mental health units and (ii) to identify nursing interventions recorded in the context of the nurse-patient relationship in the clinical notes of inpatient mental health units. Design. A multimethod approach was use. Methods. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design for the first aim, and a qualitative content analysis design of secondary data for the second aim. In total, 1,714 clinical notes were examined from 44 randomly selected patients who were hospitalized in five mental health units over the years 2022-2023. Results. The patient’s experience of the interaction was present in 69.9% (n = 1,198) of the notes. However, only 12.0% (n = 205) of the notes reached a sufficient standard of quality in terms of describing the nurse-patient interactions. Specifically, more than half of the notes did not reflect any type of nursing intervention (n = 723; 60.4%). Thirty interventions compatible with the nursing intervention classification were identified, of which more than 70% corresponded to domains in the physiological area. Conclusion. This study shows that the quantity and scope of patients’ clinical notes in mental health units do not sufficiently reflect the interventions performed by nurses, nor the quality or impact of these interventions in the context of the nurse-patient therapeutic relationship. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care. Improving the quality of clinical notes by integrating interventions and their impact can increase the quality of nursing care. Impact. The use of standardized nursing terminologies would contribute to the understanding of the extent and quality of nurse-patient interactions recorded in clinical notes. Thus, standardized documentation would also help to improve these interactions and their recording, which will facilitate decision-making. Reporting Method. Findings were reported using COREQ and STROBE guidelines. Patient or Public Contributions. There were no patient or public contributions.The authors are grateful for the support from the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat of Catalonia in the framework of the call for SGR-Cat 2021 grants, group 2021 SGR 1083

A systematic review on the use of action research methods in mental health nursing care

Aims: To identify and synthesize evidence on the use of action research methods in mental health nursing care. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched in January 2021. Review methods: Data were selected using the updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis framework. Two reviewers independently conducted the study selection, and quality appraisal using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research, data extraction and data analysis procedures. Results: Sixteen studies, half of which used participatory action research, were included in this review. Nurses, along with other stakeholders, were an active part of the action research process. The main topics of interest addressed were categorized as improving the adoption of a person-centred approach to care and improving decision-making procedures. The use of action research helped the participants to identify the meaning they attached to the topic of interest to be improved. Moreover, this method helped to identify needs and strategies for improving care. The studies concurred that the use of action research enabled participants to gain awareness, improve attitudes and acquire knowledge. In addition, it enabled participants to gain confidence and security in the group context, as key aspects of their empowerment. Conclusion: This review shows the usefulness of action research in any mental health nursing context, contributing to the improvement of care at both the individual and collective levels. Impact: This paper demonstrates the use of the action research method in the field of mental health nursing. Its use has improved the clinical practice of nurses as well as that of teams in both community and hospital settings, addressing issues of the person-centred approach to care and decision-making procedures

The therapeutic relationship from the perspective of patients and nurses in the first days of admission: A cross‐sectional study in acute mental health units

The therapeutic relationship (TR) is essential in mental health nursing care and plays a fundamental role in the understanding and treatment of the patient's health status. Despite being a bidirectional construct, limited evidence is available to shed light on this issue in mental health units and even less so in the first days of admission. This study aimed to examine the association and differences between nurses' and patients' perspectives on the establishment of the therapeutic relationship in acute mental health units during the first days of hospitalization. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 12 Spanish mental health units. Data were collected from patients and nurses using the Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI-S) questionnaire. A total of 234 cases were analysed, including 234 patients and 58 nurses. The results showed a positive association between nurses' and patients' perspectives on the therapeutic relationship, but also revealed significant differences on each WAI-S dimension. Nurses assigned higher scores compared to patients on the perception of the quality of the therapeutic relationship. The dimensions with the greatest weight from the patients' perspective regarding the quality of the therapeutic relationship were the perception of greater agreement on goals and tasks among nurses. This study demonstrates the importance of establishing shared goals and tasks with nurses from the first days of hospitalization to improve the quality of the therapeutic relationship as perceived by patients. These findings underline the need to consider the different perspectives of both parties to promote a high-quality therapeutic relationship

Rúbrica d’avaluació de l’activitat Mecanismes de defensa

La rúbrica que es presenta és un instrument per avaluar la pràctica Mecanismes de Defensa que es realitza com activitat d’avaluació continuada en l’assignatura de Ciències Psicosocials Aplicades a la Salut, en el primer curs del Grau d’Infermeria

Relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone, BDNF levels, and hippocampal volume in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis patients

IntroductionThyroid hormones play an essential role in hippocampal development, a key structure in psychosis. However, the role of these hormones in first-episode psychosis (FEP) has received limited attention. It has been hypothesized that thyroid hormones could cause morphological modifications in the hippocampal structure through the upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In this study, we primarily aimed to determine the relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, peripheral BDNF levels, and hippocampal volume in antipsychotic-naïve FEP patients. We also aimed to determine whether TSH levels were associated with clinical symptomatology.Materials and methodsA total of 50 antipsychotic-naïve FEP patients were included in the study. At baseline, we collected fasting blood samples and registered sociodemographic and clinical variables (substance use, DUP, PANSS, GAF, and CDSS). Structural T1 MRI was performed at baseline to quantify brain volumes. No control group was used for this study.ResultsOf the 50 patients, more than one-third (36%) presented alterations in TSH levels, mainly elevated levels (32% of patients). The TSH levels were inversely correlated with both peripheral BDNF and hippocampal volume. On the multivariate analysis, the model that best predicted the relative hippocampal volume was a single variable model (TSH levels). No significant association was observed between TSH levels and clinical symptomatology.DiscussionThese results suggest that thyroid hormones could have a neuroprotective effect on the hippocampus in FEP patients, possibly through their effect by increasing BDNF concentrations, which could attenuate brain injury and neuroinflammation. Nevertheless, thyroid hormones could also affect hippocampal volume through other pathways