Clinical Research Directory

Trauma Exposure and Suicidal Behaviors in Adolescents Aged 11-17 Hospitalized in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

It is a comparative monocentric study with longitudinal follow-up at 6 months in adolescents aged between 11 years and 17 years inclusive admitted to complete hospitalization either for suicidal behaviors or for other psychiatric causes. The objective is to explore the experiences of hospitalized adolescents regarding hospitalization, as well as their perceptions of the factors involved in their remission and their experience of the traumatic event(s) if they have been exposed.

Evaluation of a Brief Intervention to Improve Engagement in Early Intervention Services for Psychosis

Negative experiences with healthcare prior to referral to early intervention services for psychosis (EIS) have been linked to poor engagement and clinical outcomes. Recent research indicates that young adults who come to EIS services thru emergency departments, urgent care, or inpatient services have significantly greater rates of future use of these services as well as more negative perceptions of EIS and diminished engagement in treatment compared to young adults referred to EIS by other pathways. These findings suggest a need for additional support to be provided to EIS patients, especially those with prior negative healthcare experiences, to maximize treatment engagement and outcomes. A recent USA-based trial of a brief intervention addressing barriers to disengagement (Just Do You), including prior negative healthcare experiences, showed promise in improving engagement and recovery. This project seeks to adapt and evaluate the Just Do You intervention to a young adult early psychosis population in Nova Scotia. The investigators aim to recruit young adults from the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program to engage in 2 psychotherapy/psychoeducation sessions co-led by a clinician and peer support worker. Following the intervention, the investigators will measure improvements in participants' engagement and recovery to determine the effectiveness of the program. Outcomes between participants with negative prior healthcare experiences and those without will be compared to assess differential impact of the intervention for high-risk sub-groups. This project has the potential to improve patients' engagement in EIS care and enhance recovery outcomes for young adults.

Optimal Acute Adult Psychiatric In-patient Care in Hong Kong

This mixed-method study aims to evaluate the optimal number of hospital beds and quality of acute adult psychiatric inpatient care in Hong Kong using online Delphi surveys for psychiatric nurses and individual interviews for service users with mental health conditions and family caregivers. The main question it aims to answer is: What are the consensus points for quality acute adult psychiatric inpatient care in Hong Kong from psychiatric nurses, service users, and caregivers? Psychiatric nurses will respond to three rounds of online Delphi surveys, while service users and caregivers will attend individual semi-structured interviews.

Impact of Exercise Groups on Patient Mental Health and Wellbeing in an Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Unit

More research is needed to elucidate the impacts of physical activity interventions on short- and long-term activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in psychiatric inpatients and to support its advantageousness when compared to current standards of care. To investigate the impact of regular exercise on activity level, NPS, and sleep in an inpatient psychiatry unit, the investigators propose a placebo-controlled study with measures of activity, mood, anxiety, energy, and sleep as primary outcomes in 50 psychiatric inpatients at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Given the challenges of maintaining blinded assignment to treatment arm, the investigators will compare patients during two time periods (3 months each): the first is treatment as usual (TAU), the second adds exercise intervention (EXI).

Effectiveness of a Temporal and Sound Space in the Paramedical Management of "Crisis"

This project could potentially lead to better crisis management in psychiatry, using music as a mediator. The integration of a well-designed sound device could help caregivers build trust with patients, alleviate anxiety, and foster an environment conducive to healing. In addition, it would offer a less invasive and more patient-centered alternative, creating an atmosphere that facilitates communication and calming.

Adaptation Plan for Culturally Competent Care (PAACI) in the Acute Psychiatric Unit.

This observational study aims to design, implement, and evaluate the Adaptation Plan for Culturally Competent Care (PAACI) in the Acute Psychiatric Unit of Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona. The study focuses on improving healthcare quality for immigrant patients by reducing cultural and linguistic barriers in psychiatric care. The PAACI program includes educational materials in multiple languages, enhanced collaboration with social services, training for healthcare professionals in cultural competence, and the use of interpretation devices. Key outcomes include reducing mechanical restraints, improving patient adherence to treatment, decreasing hospital readmissions, and increasing outpatient care engagement. The study will analyze data from immigrant patients admitted to the Acute Psychiatric Unit one year before and after the implementation of PAACI, using various clinical and patient satisfaction indicators. This initiative aims to promote equal and equitable healthcare for diverse populations, potentially serving as a model for other mental health units.

Effects of Benson Relaxation Exercise on Anxiety Level and Sleep Quality in Adolescents

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Benson relaxation exercise applied to children and adolescents receiving inpatient treatment in a psychiatric clinic on anxiety levels and sleep quality. Design: The study is a randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest control group. Method: The study will be conducted in a private psychiatric hospital in Turkey between October 2024 and June 2025. When hospital records were examined, it was determined that 100 patients received inpatient treatment in the last year. Therefore, the universe of the study consisted of 100 patients. The effect of some instructions in the Benson relaxation exercise on delusions and hallucinations is unknown. Therefore, psychosis and schizophrenia patients with delusions and hallucinations will be excluded from the scope of the study. Patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. The study will be terminated when a total of 60 patients are reached, 30 in the intervention and 30 in the control group. Benson relaxation exercise will be applied to the patients in the intervention group. No application will be made to the patients in the control group. Research data will be collected with the "State-Trait Anxiety Scale" and "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index". Hypotheses: H1: The anxiety level of patients who applied Benson relaxation exercise is lower than the patients who did not. H2: The sleep quality of patients who applied Benson relaxation exercise is better than the patients who did not.

Youth Experiences and Health Study

This study aims to identify unusual experiences and psychiatric symptoms that indicate a heightened risk for severe mental disorders - especially psychoses. It is important to develop reliable questionnaire methods that are cost-effective in first-stage screening, leading to in-depth assessments and targeted care. However, existing psychosis-risk questionnaires are limited in content, intended for adults, and have been insufficiently tested for actual predictive value. Therefore we will collect a new, large dataset from an unselected group of adolescents entering psychiatric care in three major urban areas of Finland. Comprehensive national health care registers will be used to assess how well the selected experiences and symptoms predict the participants' mental health over the following few years.

Evaluation of a New Recovery-oriented Model of Psychiatric Inpatient Care

This project will study the effects of a major reorganization of psychiatric inpatient wards. This reorganization will affect many aspects of day-to-day work, with the aim of improving the individualization of care, the integration of relatives and the participation of the patients in treatment planning. This new organization will initially involve a first pilot ward, before being extended to other wards. The aim of this project is to understand whether this new organization has positive effects on the use of coercive measures, the average length of stay, the improvement in patients' clinical condition, as well as on patient satisfaction, their perception of coercion, the wards' atmosphere on the unit and patients' personal recovery. All patients admitted to three wards of the Division of adult psychiatry of the Geneva University Hospital aged 18 and over, with a good knowledge of French and being treated for any type of diagnosis except dementia, are invited to take part in the study. They will be assessed at discharge regarding the selected outcomes. The study will last 18 months: during the first 9 months, the new model will be applied on the pilot ward, and the wo other wards will serve as comparison wards. After 9 months, the model will also be applied to these other two wards.

Integrated Care After Repeated Psychiatric Hospital Stays - Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary Treatment Program

The study aims to evaluate the treatment effects as well as inhibiting and promoting factors in the implementation of the new INTUK care offer in a sample of "heavy users", i.e. psychiatric patients with 4 or more prior inpatient admissions at Klinik Zugersee, by means of a longitudinal, prospective-retrospective study. For this purpose, medical records will be analysed and participants will be asked to fill out questionnaires addressing different aspects of mental health, quality of life and patient satisfaction. In addition, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a subset of patients as well as staff members of the INTUK care offer.