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The Effects of Different Interior Decorations in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Mental Disorders
Interventions
Procedure: Psychiatric intensive care unit sparsely furnished and not decorated
Procedure: Psychiatric intensive care unit in Norwegian home style
Registration Number
NCT00184132
Lead Sponsor
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to compare effects of treatment of patients acutely admitted to a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with either a sparsely decorated interior or interior decorations like an ordinary, Norwegian home.

Detailed Description

The PICU in Østmarka psychiatric department, St. Olavs Hospital contains 2 identical parts. Each part contains 2 beds. The PICU had a traditional sparsely decorated interior. In cooperation with architects and the county building authorities one of the parts were redecorated to an interior like an ordinary Norwegian home. All patients admitted the the PICU were semi-randomized to either traditional or "Norwegian home" interior decorations. Symptoms, behaviour, and treatment were evaluated at admittance, day 3 and discharge from the PICU

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
54
Inclusion Criteria
  • All patients acutely admitted to the PICU, St. Olavs Hospital, Østmarka dep.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients with dementia or mental retardation to an extensive degree.
  • Patients not speaking Norwegian or English

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
sparsely furnished wardPsychiatric intensive care unit sparsely furnished and not decoratedtraditional interior design and furnishings. The rooms had sparse furniture, walls in grey colours lacking pictures, no window curtains, single lamps in the ceiling 4 m high, bathroom with grey, laminated paint all over, and patient rooms with a single bed and a chair of metal tubes
Norwegian home style wardPsychiatric intensive care unit in Norwegian home styleThe walls received wainscots, colourful wallpaper and paintings; the ceilings were lowered and had multiple lighting spots, the windows tasteful curtains; we put wardrobes, chairs, flowers and personal items in the patient rooms; and Italian ceramic tile covered the entire bathroom
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Scores on general psychiatric rating scale3 days

Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)

Length of stay in days1 month
Scores on violent or threatening incidents3 days

recorded with Staff Observation Aggression ScaleRevised (SOAS-R)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Therapeutic steps daily3 days

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Østmarka Psychiatric Department, St. Olavs Hospital

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Trondheim, Norway

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