Trial of a Ward-Based Intervention to Improve Access to Psychologically-Informed Care and Psychological Therapy for Mental Health In-Patients

The Care Quality Commission (2017) concludes that too often care for people with severe mental health problems on mental health inpatient wards institutionalises people, rather than helping them to have an independent life in the community. There is good evidence that psychological interventions improve patient well-being and independent living, but patients on acute mental health wards often do not have access to evidence-based psychological therapies which are strongly advised by NICE guidance for severe mental health problems (e.g. NICE, 2011). The overall aim of this programme of work is to increase patient access to psychological therapies on acute mental health inpatient wards. Stage one of the programme aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to delivering therapy in these settings through a large qualitative study. The key output of stage one was an intervention protocol that is designed to be delivered on acute wards to increase patient access to psychologically-informed care and therapy. Stage two of the programme aims to test the effects of the intervention on patient wellbeing and serious incidents on the ward which are routinely collated by wards and patient and staff contact is not required (primary outcomes), patient social functioning and symptoms, staff burnout, ward atmosphere from staff and patient perspectives and cost effectiveness of the intervention (secondary outcomes). The study is a single blind, pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial and will recruit thirty-four wards across England that will be randomised to receive the new intervention plus treatment as usual, or treatment as usual only. Primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 6-month and 9-month follow-ups, with serious incidents on the ward collected at an additional 3-month follow-up. A process evaluation will be nested within the trial to understand factors that influence the effects of the intervention and implementation in real world settings.