[Psychosocial interventions in inpatient care : Systematic review of the effectiveness of universal and selective prevention on mental health]

Abstract

Background: There are no sufficient findings from synthesized evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to improve mental health in inpatient care.

Methods: A systematic literature search in the databases of MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was carried out, as well as a manual search in Google Scholar and reference lists. Studies which focused on physical or individual activities or therapy or other groups and settings were excluded. The heterogeneity of the studies did not allow meta-analysis.

Results: Seven primary studies were included, whose interventions were assigned to the intervention types activation of memories, leisure activities, and social participation. Overall, the quality of studies was rather low. Compared to usual care or the alternative interventions of memory therapy or leisure activities, the positive effects on depressive symptoms, as well as externally assessed and self-reported quality of life or life satisfaction, were not significant. The absence of these measures lead to deterioration of depressive symptoms among residents with dementia. In contrast to memory activation, common leisure activities led to an improvement in wellbeing. One intervention for social participation increased wellbeing and reduced the occurrence of depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: There is a considerable need for conceptual-theoretical work and research on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions, particularly for raising participation among persons in inpatient care facilities.

Keywords: Inpatient care; Mental health; Person in care; Prevention; Psychosocial intervention.