Virtual calm room for inpatients with affective disorder

Abstract

Inpatient psychiatric care is a cornerstone for people with severe mental disorder who need care during acute episodes of illness. Traditional methods using pharmacological treatments have been the main option to patients. During recent decades digitalization in healthcare has been rapidly increasing and both healthcare staff and end-users should take advantage of innovative methods. The overall aim of this thesis is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effects and experiences of a virtual calm room among patients and staff in psychiatric inpatient care units. A multi-method approach with both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in this thesis. Paper I was a quasi-randomized experimental study evaluating the effects of a virtual calm room compared to a physical calm room in psychiatric inpatient care (N=60). Papers II and IV comprised the use of interviews both with patients and healthcare staff to capture their experiences of the virtual calm room. A mixed-method design approach was used in paper III to explore patients’ (N=59) experiences of being offered the use of a virtual calm room when feeling anxious or worried in a psychiatric inpatient setting. The findings highlighted that patients admitted to psychiatric inpatient care reported improved well-being after using the virtual calm room, which shows that it can be a viable alternative to a physical calm room (study I). The participants mentioned that the virtual calm room induced calmness and awareness, obtaining an overall positive experience (study II). In addition, patients’ experiences of its use supported their openness to innovation, and they perceived the virtual calm room as a modern method, but they also emphasized the importance of human interaction as a key factor in virtual reality implementation, highlighting its contribution to enriching their experience and fostering a sense of connection and support during the process (study III). In the last study (IV), healthcare staff reported that the use of a virtual calm room in a psychiatric inpatient setting was a valuable tool for enhancing patient care and therapeutic relationships. The participants had in general positive attitudes and believed it effectively supported patients with affective disorders. However, greater awareness and information are needed to improve staff familiarity and encourage patient use in the future.