The Effects of Different Interior Decorations in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of the study is to compare effects of treatment of patients acutely admitted to a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with either a sparsely decorated interior or interior decorations like an ordinary, Norwegian home.

Detailed Description
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The PICU in Østmarka psychiatric department, St. Olavs Hospital contains 2 identical parts. Each part contains 2 beds. The PICU had a traditional sparsely decorated interior. In cooperation with architects and the county building authorities one of the parts were redecorated to an interior like an ordinary Norwegian home. All patients admitted the the PICU were semi-randomized to either traditional or Norwegian home interior decorations. Symptoms, behaviour, and treatment were evaluated at admittance, day 3 and discharge from the PICU

Official Title
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The Effects of Different Interior Decorations in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

Conditions
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Mental Disorders

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Psychiatric intensive care unit in Norwegian home style
* Procedure: Psychiatric intensive care unit sparsely furnished and not decorated


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: All patients acutely admitted to the PICU, St. Olavs Hospital, Østmarka dep. Exclusion Criteria: Patients with dementia or mental retardation to an extensive degree. Patients not speaking Norwegian or English

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Norwegian home style ward<br>The walls received wainscots, colourful wallpaper and paintings; the ceilings were lowered and had multiple lighting spots, the windows tasteful curtains; we put wardrobes, chairs, flowers and personal items in the patient rooms; and Italian ceramic tile covered the entire bathroom | Procedure: Psychiatric intensive care unit in Norwegian home style<br> <br> |
| Active Comparator: sparsely furnished ward<br>traditional interior design and furnishings. The rooms had sparse furniture, walls in grey colours lacking pictures, no window curtains, single lamps in the ceiling 4 m high, bathroom with grey, laminated paint all over, and patient rooms with a single bed and a chair of metal tubes | Procedure: Psychiatric intensive care unit sparsely furnished and not decorated<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Length of stay in days |  | 1 month | 
| Scores on general psychiatric rating scale | Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) | 3 days | 
| Scores on violent or threatening incidents | recorded with Staff Observation Aggression ScaleRevised (SOAS-R) | 3 days | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Therapeutic steps daily |  | 3 days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Intensive care units, Emergency services, psychiatric, Interior Design and Furnishings, Intensive Care