Una Foye highlights a small qualitative study that explores the benefits of establishing music groups on acute mental health inpatient wards. She reflects on the boredom felt by many inpatients and the importance of social connection and a positive ward atmosphere that may indirectly improve recovery and mental well-being.
[read the full story...]REsTRAIN YOURSELF: reducing restrictive practices on mental health wards #BCTcompare
Krysia Canvin helps us prepare for the #BCTcompare event on Wed 5th June by blogging about a recent study, which looks at the outcome of a restraint reduction programme (‘REsTRAIN YOURSELF’) to minimise the use of physical restraint in acute mental health services.
[read the full story...]Smoking bans and violence on mental health wards: what’s the link?
John Baker isn’t convinced by the findings of a systematic review on smoking bans and violence in mental health settings, which concludes that the introduction of smoke-free policies generally do not lead to an increase in violence.
[read the full story...]Sexual safety in mental health inpatient units #SexualSafetyMH
Liz Hughes considers the findings and implications of the new CQC report on sexual safety on mental health wards, which calls for co-produced guidance to enable everyone who delivers mental health services to do the right thing about sexual safety.
[read the full story...]Reducing physical restraint: suggestions from patients and staff
Rob Allison explores a recent qualitative study of mental health inpatients’ and staff members’ suggestions for reducing physical restraint.
[read the full story...]Staff training to improve patient experiences of mental health inpatient wards
Danielle Lamb writes her debut elf blog on a recent RCT that investigates how staff training can improve patient experiences of mental health inpatient care.
[read the full story...]Could psychiatric inpatient admission cause suicide?
Alex Langford considers a recent paper about inpatient suicide, which suggests that being on a psychiatric ward may possibly result in people taking their own life.
[read the full story...]Smoke-free policy in psychiatric hospitals associated with reduction in physical violence
Olivia Maynard reports on a new study in The Lancet Psychiatry that explores the effect of implementing a smoke-free policy on physical violence in a psychiatric inpatient setting, which has some surprising findings.
[read the full story...]Locked wards vs open wards: does control = safety?
André Tomlin summarises a 15 year observational study published today in The Lancet Psychiatry, which provides fascinating insight into suicide risk and absconding in psychiatric inpatient units with locked wards and open door policies.
[read the full story...]Institutional smoking bans reduce secondhand smoke exposure and harms, but more research is needed
Olivia Maynard summarises a recent Cochrane systematic review about the impact of institutional smoking bans on reducing harms and secondhand smoke exposure in hospitals, universities and prisons.
[read the full story...]