Psychological provision in acute inpatient settings: An evaluation of indirect input
Authors: Bennetts Alison , Southwood James 
Published: January 2024

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

Psychiatric hospitals have input from a range of professionals, including Clinical Psychologists.

Most evidence used to guide what Clinical Psychologists do is based on their work with individuals rather than staff teams.

Some evidence shows working with staff teams is important, but most of this is based on interviews rather than measuring the impact using numbers and statistics.

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of staff‐level interventions provided by a Psychology team within a psychiatric inpatient setting.

What the paper adds to existing knowledge?

Training sessions were effective at increasing staff levels of confidence and understanding in psychological approaches, and the perceived usefulness of the session to their practice.

Case discussion sessions were effective at increasing staff levels of understanding a service user, compassion towards the service user, perceived opportunities for change with the service user, their perceived skills to work with the service user and their perception of the usefulness of the session to their practice.

Reflective practice sessions were effective at providing a space for learning, sharing ideas and reflecting.

Other interventions were highly valued by nursing staff.

What are the implications for practice?

Staff‐level interventions are effective and valued by mental health nursing staff and should be considered in allocation of psychology resources.

Interventions improved staff psychological thinking which could positively impact service user experience.

There is potential for people with lived experience to participate in these interventions, which could facilitate the therapeutic relationship and reduce restrictive practices.

Introduction

The role of Psychologists in psychiatric inpatient settings is well established and involves intervention at various levels; however, quantitative exploration of the effectiveness of staff‐level interventions is lacking.

Aim

The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a variety of staff‐level interventions provided by a Psychology team within a psychiatric inpatient setting.

Methods

The evaluation used a mixed methods approach incorporating pre–post quantitative data and post‐intervention feedback. Additional data were collected via survey.

Key Findings

Results indicated all staff‐level interventions were effective in achieving their aims and were highly valued by staff. Qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and showed tentative suggestion of a change to clinical practice.

Discussion

Indirect psychology provision was found to significantly impact a range of staff attitudes and was highly valued by the staff team, supporting previous qualitative findings in psychiatric inpatient settings. Further quantitative evidence of the impact of staff‐level interventions should be sought.

Implications

Staff‐level interventions are effective and valued by mental health nursing staff and should be considered in allocation of psychology resources. Furthermore, there is potential for people with lived experience to participate in these interventions, which could facilitate the therapeutic relationship and reduce restrictive practices, however this requires future research.