Result article 2022
Linkhorst, T., Birkeland, S. F., Gildberg, F. A., Mainz, J., Torp-Pedersen, C., & Bøggild, H. (2022). Use of the least intrusive coercion at Danish psychiatric wards: A register-based cohort study of 131,632 first and subsequent coercive episodes within 35,812 admissions. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 85, 101838. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2022.101838
Objective: Psychiatric legislation in Denmark implies a principle of using the least intrusive types of coercion first. The intrusiveness is not universally agreed upon. We examined the order in which coercive measures during admission were used, implying that the first used should be less intrusive than the following types. Methods: For coercive episodes reported to the national administrative register for the period 2011â16, the order of 12 legal coercive interventions during each admission was examined. Comparing with mechanical restraint, the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (95%CI) of being first or subsequent used types were estimated using conditioned (96,611 episodes) and unconditioned (131,632 episodes) logistic regression models, stratified on sex. Results: Totally 17,796 patients aged 18+ were subjected to at least one coercive episode. The median time between admission and the first episode was 4Â days in men and 6 for women. For females, involuntary detention, forced feeding, coercive treatment of somatic disorder, locking of doors and close observations in females were used before mechanical restraint, and forced follow-up, involuntary electro convulsive therapy (ECT), forced treatment, use of gloves and straps, physical restraint and forced intramuscular medication was used later. In men, only involuntary detention was used before mechanical restraint, while involuntary ECT, close observations, administration of drugs, use of gloves and straps, physical restraint and forced intramuscular medication was used after mechanical restraint. Conclusion: The order of used coercive measures is not consistent with the international ranking of the least intrusive types, especially in men and in younger adults.
Ellen Boldrup Tingleff, Sara Rowaert, Stinne Vinding, Tina Kirstine Vestphal, Rhonda Wilson, Frederik Alkier Gildberg (2022) âItâs still our childâ. A qualitative interview study with parent carers in forensic mental health, Archives of Psychiatric Nursing doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.017.
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of parents in forensic mental health services with regard to their cooperation with healthcare professionals and their role as parent carers. 15 participants were interviewed using qualitative, in-depth interviews and transcripts were analysed thematically. The identified themes were âMedical dominance,
âInteractions with healthcare professionalsâ, and âAdvocating for their daughter/sonâ. The themes were associated with the overall theme âperceived impact on the parentsâ everyday livesâ. The results suggest that parent carers perceive a malalignment between the institutional medicalised treatment focus and the need for an integrated holistic approach, which would include them as partners.
Anne Louise Winkler Pedersen, Frederik Alkier Gildberg, Peter Hjorth, Mikkel Højlund & Kjeld Andersen, 2022. Hospitalisation time is associated with weight gain in forensic mental health patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2022.2053202
Introduction: People with mental disorders have higher mortality from lifestyle diseases than the general population. Forensic mental health patients (FMHPs) are often hospitalised for longer periods of time than non-FMHPs. Thus, hospitalisation may have a greater effect on the risk of lifestyle diseases in FMHPs. Objective: Investigate associations between proportional hospitalisation time (PHT) and change in body weight or other cardiometabolic risk factors among FMHPs. Methods: Retrospective cohort study including all FMHPs with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, prescribed antipsychotics, and treated between 01 January 2016 and 06 April 2020 in the Region of Southern Denmark either in forensic units or as outpatients. Associations between PHT and, respectively, primary and secondary outcomes were analysed using linear regression. PHT was determined between each measurement of the outcomes as the number of days hospitalised divided by the total number of days within the time-period. The primary outcome was weight change and secondary outcomes were change in waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, estimated average glucose (eAG), HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Analyses were adjusted for gender, age, smoking, and antipsychotics. Results: The cohort included 490 FMHPs, of which 440 were diagnosed with schizophrenia. PHT had a significant positive dose-response association with weight change, with an estimated difference of
Ăž4.0 kg/year for FMHPs who were hospitalised 100% of the time, compared to FMHPs who were exclusively treated as outpatients. The association interacted with baseline BMI. From the secondary outcomes, the association with PHT was only statistically significant for WC. Conclusions: PHT was positively associated with weight gain.
Result article 2021
Gildberg, F., Petersen Fallesen, J., Vogn, D., Baker, J. & Fluttert, F., 2021. Conflict management: A qualitative study of mental health staffâs perceptions of factors that may influence conflicts with forensic mental health inpatients. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 10.1016/j.apnu.2021.06.007 Status: Published
Internationally, clinical services are under pressure to reduce their use of restrictive practices. The aim was to explore how mental health nurses and nursing assistants perceive conflict and their use of restrictive practices with
mental health inpatients in forensic mental health care. A total of 24 semi-structured interviews with forensic
mental health staff were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings propose a dynamic model
that explains how tolerance of potential conflict situations changes depending on individual staff members’ perceptions of patients and colleagues, and their relationships.
Villadsen, DB., Sørensen, MT., Gildberg, FA. 2021. Do healthcare professionals face oral suffering? Klinisk Sygepleje. vol. 35,1. DOI: 10.18261/issn.1903-2285-2021-01-03 Status: Published
tudies show that oral health of persons with severe mental illnesses (SMI), including schizophrenia, is poor compared to the oral health of the general population. The aim of the study is to explore how adults with schizophrenia experience being met by healthcare professionals in relation to oral health challenges. 23 adults with schizophrenia were interviewed in late 2015. Transcriptions of the interviews were coded using Braun and Clarkeâs approach
to thematic analysis. Three themes were derived from data: 1) Oral issues being ignored 2) Oral issues addressed as side-effects 3) Oral issues addressed as part of a holistic meeting. We recommend a systematic attention to oral health issues in mental health nursing and multidisciplinary cooperation in order to improve oral health among patients with SMI.
Result article 2020
Wilson, R., Ball, J., Carryer, J., Dewey, J., Dwing, J., Rosado, S., Gildberg, FA., Hutton, A., Johnson, A., Kaunonen, M., Sheridan, N. 2020. Title: The state of the nursing profession in the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020 during COVID-19: A Nursing Standpoint. Nursing Philosophy. 21(3) doi.org/10.1111/nup.12314 Status: Published
no abstract – peer reviewed editorial
Christensen, LF., Wilson, R., Hansen, JP., Nielsen, CT., Gildberg, FA. 2020. A qualitative study of patientsâ and providersâ experiences with the use of videoconferences by older adults with depression. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. doi.org/10.1111/inm.12803 Status: Published
The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of patients and providers
regarding the use of videoconferences in older patients with depression. The qualitative study
consisted of semi-structured interviews with patients and providers and focus group interviews
with providers. Themes were identified through using thematic analysis. Three main themes were
as follows: 1. Technical Challenges experienced by patients and providers experiences; 2.
Videoconferencing as clinical supportive technology; and 3. Therapeutic relationship across faceto-face and videoconferencing formats. Several subthemes describing patientsâ and providersâ
experiences were identified. Taken together, there was a similarity between expectations, opinions,
and attitudes in relation to experiences vertically across all main themes, and horizontally between
the main themes. An optimistic outlook influenced user expectations, opinions, and attitudes and
acted to mitigate an negative sentiment about technical challenges. This increased the adoption of
videoconferencing as a tool for clinical support and enabled the development of a therapeutic
relationship using videoconferencing, especially for provider users. Both patients and providers
agreed that videoconferences could not replace all face-to-face conversations and that
videoconferences, in most cases, were best suited for shorter follow-up consultations. Expectations,
opinions, and attitudes, whether negative or positive, seemed to have significant impact on the
experiences of patients and especially providers.
Birkeland, S., Berzins K., Baker J., Mattson T., Søvig, KH., Gildberg FA., 2020 Prohibition on research involving psychiatric patients subject to coercion. Kritisk Juss. 01(51) Status: Published
This paper compares legislation on clinical research conducted on patients subject to coercion in the Scandinavian countries and the UK, examines it from a human rights perspective, and problematizes the Danish legal model as the only one employing a total ban on this kind of research. Reference is made to the consequences to evidence-based psychiatric care improvements and international ethical principle statements generally entitling psychiatric patients to treatment under similar ethical and scientific conditions as patients with other illnesses, given the absolute premise that the patient does not object to research participation and always retains the right to withdraw.
Christensen, L.F., Gildberg, F.A., Sibbersen, C., Skjoeth, M.M., Nielsen, C.T., Hansen, J.P. 2020. Videoconferences and treatment of depression: Satisfaction score correlated with number of sessions attended but not with age. Telemedicine and E-Health, 26,7. pp. 898-904. tmj.2019.0129. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2019.0129 Article, Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published!
Aim: To investigatewhether there is a correlation between age and satisfaction with the use of videoconferences (VCs) and whether the number of video sessions had an impact on satisfaction. Methods: This study was a subanalysis of the joint European project, MasterMind, and participants were recruited from15 pilot studies in 11 different countries. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire 8 (CSQ 8) was used as assessment tool, and scores were summed to give total scores. Results: Participants were included if they had filled out the CSQ 8 questionnaire and demographic datawere available. This resulted in a total of 199 participants. We found that the total score was not significantly correlated with age (Spearmanâs rho=-0.0415, p = 0.563) and gender (Wilcoxon W= 5,066, p = 0.409). There was a significant positive correlation between number of sessions attended (Spearmanâs rho = 0.5777, p < 0.001) and total score after adjusting for age, gender, region, symptoms score, and education level in a multiple linear regression model (coefficient = 0.170, SE = 0.059, p = 0.004). Excluded responders were significantly younger than included responders, had lower symptoms score, attended fewer sessions, had a higher education, and were more likely to be employed.
Conclusions: VC satisfaction scores in patients with unipolar depression do not depend on age but increase with experience in all age groups.
Keywords: videoconferences, depression, satisfaction, age,
telemedicine, telehealth, e-Health
Christensen, L. F., Gildberg, F., Sibbersen, C., Skjøth, M. M., Nielsen, C. T. & Hansen, J. P. 2020. Disagreement in satisfaction between patients and providers in the use of videoconferences by depressed adults. In: Telemedicine and e-Health. 26,5. pp. 614-620 doi: 10.1089/tmj.2019.0055 Publikation: Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published online!
Aim: To evaluate whether there was a difference in satisfaction scores between providers and patients in the use of
videoconferences (VCs) by depressed adults. Method: This study was a subanalysis of the joint European
project, MasterMind, and participants were recruited from 15 pilot studies in 11 different countries. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)-3 was used as assessment tool, and scores were summed to give total scores. The questionnaire consists of three items evaluating general satisfaction, fulfillment of needs in treatment, and usability.
Results: A total of 362 respondents, 201 patients and 161 providers, completed the questionnaire. Providers had a mean total CSQ-3 score of 9.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.90â9.45), whereas patients had a mean of 9.70 (95% CI = 9.44â9.98). Mean scores for item 1 (the extent to which VCs had met the needs of the participants): patients 3.19, providers 2.93 ( p = 0.00048); for item 2 (general satisfaction): patients 3.22, providers 3.08 ( p = 0.083); and item 3 (whether participants wanted to use VCs again): patients 3.28 providers 3.16 ( p = 0.045). Conclusion: The results showed that total satisfaction scores were higher in patients than in providers. The differences between patients and providers were significant for items 1 and 3 ( p < 0.05), but we did not find a significant difference regarding item 2.
Result article 2019
Tingleff, EB., Hounsgaard, L., Bradley, SK., & Gildberg, FA. (2019). SĂĽdan opfatter retspsykiatriske patienter bĂŚltefikseringer. Fag & Forskning Sygeplejersken. 2019, 4, s. 36-47 https://dsr.dk/sygeplejersken/arkiv/ff-nr-2019-4/saadan-opfatter-retspsykiatriske-patienter-baeltefikseringer, Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published
Danish abstract only
Nissen, RD., Gildberg, FA., Hvidt, NC. 2019. Approaching the Religious Patient in Forensic Psychiatry, with special focus on ethnic minority patients. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. 10.1080/13674676.2019.1636368 Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published!
Ethnic minority patients are overrepresented in Danish forensic psychiatry and knowledge is needed on how these patients are approached in relation to religious and cultural issues. The aim of this study was to investigate how psychiatrists in Danish forensic psychiatry approach religious ethnic minority patients. The study revealed positive approach towards religious ethnic minority patients. However, unless religion features as part of the illness, the tendency is to not incorporate the patientsâ religiosity in treatment. The study finds that the hospital chaplain is regarded by the psychiatrists as an important part of the ward and expressed the desire for a more formal cooperation with religious specialists to be developed. Finally, the study finds that religious practices such as Ramadan, common prayer, and Islamic edicts on food and unlawful touch are areas where more knowledge is needed, especially in relation to anxiety, potential stress, and conflict situations.
Nissen, R.D., Gildberg, F.A., Hvidt, N.C. 2019. Approaching the Religious Patient in Secular Psychiatry: Does âsubalternalizingâ religious patients mean they do not exist? The Archives for the Psychology of Religion. https://doi.org/10.1177/0084672419868770 Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published!
This article presents the findings of an empirical research project on how psychiatrists in a secular country (Denmark) approach the religious patients, and how the individual worldview of the psychiatrist influences this approach. The study is based on 22 interviews with certified psychiatrists or physicians in psychiatric residency. The article presents the theoretical and methodical grounding and introduces the analytical construct âsubalternalizing,â derived from subaltern studies. âSubalternalizingâ designates a process where a trait in one worldview (patient) is marginalized as a consequence of another worldviewâs (psychiatrist) âdisinterest.â The analysis located four categories: (a) religion as a negative part of the patient story, (b) religion as a positive part of the patient story, (c) religion in relation to radicalization, and (d) there are no religious patients. The discussion shows that the approach is influenced by the psychiatrist worldview. Examples of âsubalternalizingâ are given and how this excludes âpositive religious copingâ and âexistential and spiritual careâ from treatment.
Frandsen, TF., Gildberg, F., Tingleff, E.B., 2019 Searching for qualitative health research required several databases and alternative search strategies: a study of coverage in bibliographic databases. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology Vol. 114, p118â124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.06.013 Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published!
Objective: Retrieving the qualitative literature can be challenging, but the number and specific choice of databases are key factors. The aim of the present study is to provide guidance for the choice of databases for retrieving qualitative health research. Study Design and Setting: Seventy-one qualitative systematic reviews, from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and JBI database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, including 927 qualitative studies, were used to analyze the coverage of the qualitative literature in nine bibliographic databases. Results: The results show that 94.4% of the qualitative studies are indexed in at least one database, with a lower coverage for publication types other than journal articles. Maximum recall with two databases is 89.1%, with three databases recall increases to 92% and
maximum recall with four databases is 93.1%. The remaining 6.9% of the publications consists of 1.3% scattered across five databases and 5.6% that are not indexed in any of the nine databases used in this study. Conclusion: Retrieval in one or a few although well selected databases does not provide all the relevant qualitative studies. The remaining studies needs to be located using several other databases and alternative search strategies. 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Nielsen, L.D., Bech, P., Hounsgaard, L., Gildberg, F.A. 2019.Construct validity of the Mechanical Restraint â Confounders, Risk, Alliance Score (MR-CRAS): a new risk assessment instrument. Nordic Journal Of Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2019.1634757 Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published!
Background: A new short-term risk assessment instrument, the Mechanical Restraint â Confounders, Risk, Alliance Score (MR â CRAS) checklist, including three subscales with altogether 18 items, has been developed in close collaboration with forensic mental health nurses, psychiatristsâ etc., and shows evidence of being comprehensible, relevant, comprehensive and easy to use for assessing the patientâs readiness to be released from mechanical restraint.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the subscales: confounders, risk and parameters of alliance constituted separate subscales and needed further revisions.
Materials and methods: MR â CRAS was field-study tested among nurses, nurse assistants and social and health care assistants in 13 Danish closed forensic mental health inpatient units, and a Mokken analysis of scalability and a Spearman correlation analysis were performed.
Results: MR â CRAS was completed by clinicians in 143 episodes of mechanical restraint, representing 88 patients, with a mean duration of 63.25 hours. Most patients were younger men, diagnosed within the schizophrenia spectrum. One-third of the patients had repeated mechanical restraint episodes ranging between 2 and 8 episodes. MR â CRAS and especially the parameters of alliance were perceived
as usable for assessment of the patientâs readiness to be released from mechanical restraint. The psychometric analyses showed that the three subscales were unidimensional.
Conclusions: The study shows evidence of the construct validity of MR â CRAS among clinicians at closed forensic mental health inpatient units. MR â CRAS contributes with a common language and structured, systematic and transparent observations and assessments on an hour by hour basis during mechanical restraint
Tingleff, EB, Hounsgaard, L., Bradley, SK., Wilson, R., Gildberg, FA. 2019. A Matter of Trust and Distrust: A qualitative investigation of parent perceptions about the use of mechanical restraint on their adult children in a forensic psychiatric setting. Journal of Forensic Nursing.15/2. Doi: 10.1097/JFN.0000000000000237 Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published!
Introduction: Increased knowledge about forensic psychiatric patients’ relatives’ perceptions in regard to the use of mechanical restraint (MR) is necessary, if clinical practice is to be improved and to achieve a reduction in the use and frequency of MR. However, a specific knowledge deficit about relatives’ perspectives on the use of
MR limits the evidence base considerably. Aim: The aimof this study was to investigate the perceptions of MR held by relatives of forensic psychiatric patients’ including factors impacting its use and duration.
Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents of patients within a forensic psychiatry setting and thematically analyzed. Findings: Two main themes were identified, namely, âcare and protectionâ and âinclusion and involvement,â and one subtheme, âinformation.â These themes revealed the framework used by parents to construct a sense of âtrust or distrustâ about the ability of staff to provide adequate and safe care for their adult children in the forensic psychiatric setting. Conclusion: Some parents in this study considered that forensic psychiatric staff used MR as a necessary protection. However, most parents held strong negative perceptions regarding the use of MR and the quality and safety of care provision. It is apparent that parents in this study believed they should be included and involved in the care in situations associated with the use of MR, because they considered that this could reduce its use. Further research is required to target interventions to reduce the use and duration of MR episodes and to improve clinical practice in forensic psychiatry.
Tingleff, EB., Hounsgaard, L., Bradley, SK., Gildberg, FA. 2019. Forensic psychiatric patientsâ perceptions of situations associated with mechanical restraint: a qualitative interview study. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. doi: 10.1111/inm.12549 Article, peer review. Status: Published!
To reduce the use and duration of mechanical restraint in forensic settings and ensure evidence-based patient care, we need more knowledge about patientsâ subjective experiences and perceptions. The aim was to investigate forensic psychiatric patientsâ perceptions of situations associated with the use of mechanical restraint and what they perceive as factors impacting the use and duration of mechanical restraint. Twenty participants were interviewed. Four themes were identiďŹed through a thematic analysis: âovert protest reactionsâ, âsilent protest reactionsâ, âillness-related behaviourâ, and âgenuinely calmâ, which together characterize patientsâ perceptions of their ways of acting and reacting during mechanical restraint episodes. These themes are linked together in two patterns in the process of mechanical restraint: âpattern of protestâ and âpattern of illnessâ. Further research is needed to illuminate the associations between patientsâ perceptions of being subjected to mechanical restraint and ways of acting and reacting through the process of mechanical restraint.
Result article 2018
Sørensen, T., Tingleff, EB., Gildberg, FA. 2018. Feeling safe and taking on responsibilities: Newly graduated nursesâ perceptions and evaluations of their transition into a forensic mental health inpatient setting. Journal of Forensic Nursing. 10.1097/JFN.0000000000000190 Article, peer review. Status: Published.
Forensic mental health care is faced with serious problems in the recruitment and retention of newly graduated nurses (NGNs). Research intoNGNs’ experiences of their transition to and evaluations of transition programs in forensic care is sparse, and more studies are called for. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of NGNs’ experiences and perceptions of their transition into a forensic setting and their evaluations of the introduction period. Three focus group interviews were carried out, involving 13 NGNs, lasting 79.68 minutes on average. They were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results show twomain themes: âfeeling safeâ and âtaking on responsibilities.â If NGNs felt overburdened with clinical responsibilities during their transition, their feeling of safety reduced. The converse also applied; theThe safer they felt, the greater clinical responsibility they felt capable of handling. The more difficult the NGNs perceived the informal transition, the more unsafe they felt, and the more negatively they perceived the responsibilities placed upon them. Tailored programs designed to support both the informal and formal transitions are recommended, along with preceptorship, theoretical training, and role-based support, such as a shift manager, along with early introduction to conflict management and security measures.
Nielsen, L.D., Gildberg, F.A., Dalsgaard, J.L., Munksgaard, G., Beck, P., Hounsgaard, L. 2018. Forensic mental health clinician´s experiences with and assessment of alliance regarding the patient´s readiness to be released from mechanical restraint. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 27, pp.116-125 doi: 10.1111/inm.12300 Research: Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published.
One of the main reasons for prolonged duration of mechanical restraint is patient
behaviour in relation to the clinician-patient alliance. This article reports on the forensic mental health clinicians experiences of the clinician-patient alliance during mechanical restraint, and their assessment of parameters of alliance regarding the patientâs readiness to be released from restraint.
We used a qualitative, descriptive approach and conducted focus group interviews with nurses, nurse assistants and social and healthcare assistants. The results show that a pre-established personal clinician-patient alliance formed the basis for entering into, and weighing the quality of,
the alliance during mechanical restraint. In consideration of the patientâs psychiatric condition, the clinicians observed and assessed two quality parameters for the alliance: âthe patientâs insight into or understanding of present situationâ (e.g. the reasons for mechanical restraint and the behaviour required of the patient to discontinue restraint) and âthe patientâs ability to have good and stable contact and cooperation with and across clinicians. These assessments were included, as a total picture of the quality of the alliance with the patientâ, in the overall team assessment of the patientâs readiness to be released from mechanical restraint. The results contribute to inform the development of a short-term risk assessment instrument, with the aim of reducing the duration of mechanical restraint.
Result Article: 2017
Nielsen, L.D., Beck, P., Hounsgaard, L., Gildberg, F.A. 2017. Mechanical Restraint â Confounders, Risk, Alliance Score: Testing the clinical validity of a new risk assessment instrument. Nordic Journal Of Psychiatry.2017, pp.1-7 online. DOI:10.1080/08039488.2017.1318949 Research: Article, Peer reviewed. Status: Published.
Background: Unstructured risk assessment, as well as confounders (underlying reasons for the patientâs risk behaviour and alliance), risk behaviour, and parameters of alliance, have been identified as factors that prolong the duration of mechanical restraint among forensic mental health inpatients. Aim: To clinically validate a new, structured short-term risk assessment instrument called the Mechanical RestraintâConfounders, Risk, Alliance Score (MR-CRAS), with the intended purpose of supporting the clinicians’ observation and assessment of the patientâs readiness to be released from mechanical restraint. Methods: The content and layout of MR-CRAS and its user manual were evaluated using face validation by forensic mental health clinicians, content validation by an expert panel, and pilot testing within two, closed forensic mental health inpatient units. Results: The three sub-scales (Confounders, Risk, and a parameter of Alliance) showed excellent content validity. The clinical validations also showed that MR-CRAS was perceived and experienced as a comprehensible, relevant, comprehensive, and useable risk assessment instrument. Conclusions: MR-CRAS contains 18 clinically valid items, and the instrument can be used to support the clinical decision-making regarding the possibility of releasing the patient from mechanical restraint. Implications: The present three studies have clinically validated a short MR-CRAS scale that is currently being psychometrically tested in a larger study.
Result Article: 2016
Gildberg, F.A., Paaske, K.J., Rasmussen, V.L., Nissen, R.D., Bradley, S.K., Hounsgaard, L. 2016. Humour: Power conveying social structures inside forensic mental health nursing. Journal of Forensic Nursing. Research: Article, peer reviewed. Status: Published
According to research literature, humor inside the staffâpatient interaction seems to be significant in the area of forensic mental healthcare. However, existing literature on the subject is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of the use humor by forensic mental health staff members in interactions with forensic mental health inpatients. The study included 32 forensic mental health staffmembers, used 307 hours of participant observations, 48 informal interviews, and seven formal semistructured interviews. Outcomes identify four themes concerning the conveyance of power to, from, and between forensic mental health staff and patients as they interact: (a) âthe informal use: the human-to-human approach,â characterized by an informal use of humor and without any reference tomental health issues; (b) the âformal use of humor: the staffâpatient approach,â characterized as formalwith a view on the patient as mentally ill, unable to understand humor, and with the aim of using humor to prevent conflicts or negative behavior; (c) âprotest against requested care: the humanâpatient approach,â characterized by the use of humor as a protest against requested care; and the use of (d) âinadequacy humor: the staffâhuman approach,â characterized by the use of inadequacyâhumor referring to, for example, patientsâ physical features. Recommendations and clinical implications are discussed.
Birkeland, S. Gildberg, F.A. 2016 Mental health nursing, mechanical restraint measures and patientsâ legal rights. Vol. 2016. No. 10. pp. 8-14. The Open Nursing Journal. Short Communication Article, peer reviewed, Status: Published.
Coercive mechanical restraint (MR) in psychiatry constitutes the perhaps most extensive exception from the common health law requirement for involving patients in health care decisions and achieving their informed consent prior to treatment. Coercive measures and particularly MR seriously collide with patient autonomy principles, pose a particular challenge to psychiatric patientsâ legal rights, and put intensified demands on health professional performance. Legal rights principles require rationale for coercive measure use be thoroughly considered and rigorously documented. This article presents an in-principle Danish Psychiatric Complaint Board decision concerning MR use initiated by untrained staff. The case illustrates that, judicially, weight must be put on the patient perspective on course of happenings and especially when health professional documentation is scant, patientsâ rights call for taking notice of patient evaluations. Consequently, if it comes out that psychiatric staff failed to pay appropriate consideration for the patientâs mental state, perspective, and expressions, patient response deviations are to be judicially interpreted in this light potentially rendering MR use illegitimated. While specification of law criteria might possibly improve law use and promote patientsâ rights, education of psychiatry professionals must address the need for, as far as possible, paying due regard to meeting patient perspectives and participation principles as well as formal law and documentation requirements.
Result Article: 2015
Tingleff, E. B., Dalsgaard, K., Lunding, D. & Gildberg, F. A. 2015 âMerged into cultureâ: The experiences of being newly employed nursing staff in adult psychiatry. Vol. 29. No. 3 pp. 11-26 .Klinisk Sygepleje. Research: Article, peer reviewed. Status: Published.
Background: Newly qualified nurses experience a stressful transition into mental health nursing, but research shows that transition programs meet many of the challenges. Research on transition into mental health nursing that includes experienced nurses and health care assistants seems sparse. Aim: To investigate how newly employed nursing staff experience the transition and experience and evaluate the introduction to adult psychiatry. Method: 17 participants were interviewed in 3 focus groups. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis within a symbolic interactionism framework. Results: The newly employed experience themselves working in certain âcultureâ and undergo a âtransitionâ characterized by four themes; âFormal introductionâ, âInformal introductionâ, âThe roleâ and âWorking environmentâ. Conclusion: The newly employed experiences of âcultureâ are very essential for their experiences of the transition and experiences and evaluations of the introduction. Structured, research-based transition programs are necessary in order for newly employed to achieve a healthy transition into mental health nursing.
Gildberg, FA, Fristed, P, Makransky, G, Moeller, EH, Nielsen, LD, Bradley, SK. 2015 As Time Goes by: Reasons and characteristics of prolonged episodes of mechanical restraint in forensic psychiatry. Vol. 11, No.1, 41-50. Journal of Forensic Nursing. Research: Article, peer reviewed. Status: Published.
Evidence suggests the prevalence and duration of mechanical restraint are particularly high among forensic psychiatric inpatients. However, only sparse knowledge exists regarding the reasons for, and characteristics of, prolonged use of mechanical restraint in forensic psychiatry. This study therefore aimed to investigate prolonged episodes of mechanical restraint on forensic psychiatric inpatients. Documentary data from medical records were thematically analyzed. Results show that the reasons for prolonged episodes of mechanical restraint on forensic psychiatric inpatients can be characterized by multiple factors: âconfoundingâ (behavior associated with psychiatric conditions, substance abuse, medical noncompliance, etc.), âriskâ (behavior posing a risk for violence), and âalliance parametersâ (qualities of the staff-patient alliance and the patientsâ openness to alliance with staff), altogether woven into a mechanical restraint spiral that in itself becomes a reason for prolonged mechanical restraint. The study also shows lack of consistent clinical assessment during periods of restraint. Further investigation is indicated to develop an assessment tool with the capability to reduce time spent in mechanical restraint.
Result article 2013
Gildberg, F.A., Bradley, S.K., & Hounsgaard, L. 2013. Comparing the Obvious: Interactional characteristics of staff in acute mental health nursing and forensic psychiatric nursing Vol 2013, no 12, pp. 205-214. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. Forskning: Artikel, peer reviewed. Status: Published.
This article reports on and compares two separate studies of the interactional characteristics of forensic mental health staff and acute mental health staff as they interact with inpatients, respectively. Both studies were conducted using participant observation, along with informal and formal interviews. Findings show that both acute and forensic mental health nursing practice is characterized by two overriding themes; âtrust and relationship-enabling careâ and âbehavior and perception-corrective care.â The comparison of the two studies shows no major differences in the characteristics of staff interactions with patients or in the overall meanings ascribed by staff in the different practice settings.
Result Article 2012
Gildberg, F.A., Bradley, S.K., Fristed, P., & Hounsgaard, L. 2012. Reconstructing normality: Characteristics of staff interactions with forensic mental health inpatients. vol. 2012, no.21, pp. 103-113., Int J.Ment.Health Nurs. available from: PM:22321258 Acces
Forensic psychiatry is an area of priority for the Danish Government. As the field expands, this calls for increased knowledge about mental health nursing practice, as this is part of the forensic psychiatry treatment offered. However, only sparse research exists in this area. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of forensic mental health nursing staff interaction with forensic mental health inpatients and to explore how staff give meaning to these interactions. The project included 32 forensic mental health staff members, with over 307âhours of participant observations, 48 informal interviews, and seven semistructured interviews. The findings show that staff interaction is typified by the use of trust and relationship-enabling care, which is characterized by the establishment and maintenance of an informal, trusting relationship through a repeated reconstruction of normality. The intention is to establish a trusting relationship to form behaviour and perceptual-corrective care, which is characterized by staffâs endeavours to change, halt, or support the patientâs behaviour or perception in relation to staffâs perception of normality. The intention is to support and teach the patient normal behaviour by correcting their behaviour, and at the same time, maintaining control and security by staying abreast of potential conflicts.