Sheffield project to test whether brief conversations could reduce restraint on mental health wards
A University of Sheffield project led by Dr Vyv Huddy will prepare the ground for testing whether training nursing staff to hold brief, supportive, patient-led conversations helps them respond to distress earlier and safely avoid restraint or seclusion on mental health wards. It has not yet tested the idea.
What happened
Dr Vyv Huddy, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, has received funding from the Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Research Capability scheme for preparatory work towards a larger application to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Over the coming months the team will seek advice from people with lived experience of inpatient care, ward nurses, clinical leaders, researchers and community organisations. The work includes a rapid review of existing evidence and co-design of the staff training, supervision arrangements and study design.
Why it matters
De-escalating distress before it reaches crisis point is one of the main open challenges in inpatient psychiatric care. Restraint and seclusion, though sometimes used to keep wards safe, can traumatise patients and place high stress on staff.
The project tests the feasibility of a study, not the intervention itself. There is no evidence yet from this work that supportive conversations reduce restraint or seclusion, or that they can replace emergency interventions where these are needed.
What happens next
If the preparatory work supports it, the team plans to apply to NIHR for funding to test the approach.
Source
- University of SheffieldLaying the groundwork to reduce restrictive practices in NHS mental health care