The effects of a staff-training program in behavior management and social-learning principles on staff-patient interactions within a psychiatric rehabilitation inpatient unit.

The effects of a staff-training program in behavior management and social-learning principles on staff-patient interactions within a psychiatric rehabilitation inpatient unit. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2020 Mar 05;: Authors: Schenkel LS, Wilkniss SM, Savitz A, Spaulding WD, Silverstein SM Abstract Despite the existence of effective behavioral interventions for people diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI), these continue to be underutilized. Barriers to implementation include a low frequency of staff-patient interactions, as well as a lack of knowledge about, and negative attitudes toward, behavioral interventions. Therefore, we examined the effects of a mandatory behavioral staff-training program on staff-patient interactions on a long-term psychiatric inpatient program for individuals with SMI. Staff-training consisted of two-phases: didactic training followed by a written exam, and in vivo training and assessment. From pre- to posttraining, all staff demonstrated increased positive and therapeutic behaviors and decreased negative behaviors when interacting with patients. Additionally, at baseline, nonmedical staff (psychologists, social workers) displayed significantly more therapeutic and fewer negative behaviors compared with medical staff (psychiatrists, nurses, mental health workers), and this pattern persisted at posttraining despite improvements in both groups. Importantly, completion of the staff-training program was assoc...
Source: The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Am J Orthopsychiatry Source Type: research