Laying the groundwork to reduce restrictive practices in NHS mental health care
Simple conversations between nursing staff and patients could help reduce restrictive practices like physical restraint and seclusion on mental health wards. A new University of Sheffield project will prepare the ground for testing this idea.
Researchers will examine patient and staff perspectives on whether equipping nursing staff with targeted training to hold brief, supportive, and patient-led conversations can help them respond to distress much earlier to improve overall patient care and safely avoid the need for restraint or seclusion.
Finding ways to de-escalate emotional distress before it reaches a crisis point remains one of the most pressing open challenges in inpatient psychiatric care. Restrictive measures, while sometimes used to keep wards safe, can leave patients traumatised and staff facing high levels of stress.
Dr Vyv Huddy, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, has been awarded funding by the Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Research Capability scheme to support preparatory work towards a larger NIHR research funding application.
“Restraint and seclusion can be deeply distressing for patients and difficult for staff. We want to find out whether brief, supportive conversations could help nurses respond to distress earlier. This funding gives us time to work with people who have experienced inpatient care, ward staff and clinical leaders to make sure the study we propose is the right one, before we apply for funding to test it”. Dr Vyv Huddy
Over the coming months, Dr Huddy will bring together a multidisciplinary and seek advice from people with lived experience of inpatient care, ward nurses, clinical leaders, researchers and community organisations. The work will also include a rapid review of existing evidence and work directly with interested holders to co-design the staff training, supervision arrangements, and study design.