Immediate effects of snoezelen® treatment on adult psychiatric patients and community controls

Abstract

The effectiveness of Snoezelen| multi-sensory stimulation treatment was evaluated with 50 psychiatric patients (25 men, 25 women) and 50 hospital employees (25 men, 25 women). Pre and post-treatment physiological responses (galvanic skin conductance response, heart rate, and percentage blood oxygen) were compared and participants were evaluated post-treatment for perceived psychological benefits with a nine-item questionnaire. Results indicate that participation in a single 20-minute Snoezelen| session had significant and positive physiological effects on both the patient and staff groups. Also, post-treatment participants in both groups did not perceive any change on the dimension reserved-outgoing but felt more sleepy, passive, relaxed, cheerful, focused, optimistic, calm, and comfortable. Consequently, beneficial physiological and psychological Snoezelen| treatment effects were apparent for both patients and controls.

Sensory approaches in mental health: A scoping review

“…(); m Reddon et al . (); n Reisman and Blakeney (); o Sivak (); p Smith and Jones (); q Sutton et al . ().…”

“…Some studies have also explored the effectiveness of Snoezelen rooms with individuals with mental illness (Costa et al ., ; Reddon, Hoang, Sehgal & Marjanovic, ). These studies have been based on the positive findings related to the use of Snoezelen rooms with other, similar, populations such as individuals with developmental disabilities and dementia.…”

“…These included: (i) staff ratings of consumers’ behaviour (Chalmers et al ., ; Levine et al ., ; Novak et al ., ; Reisman & Blakeney, ; Sutton et al ., ); (ii) level of engagement between consumers and staff (Smith & Jones, ; Sutton et al . ); (iii) overall consumer experience in the inpatient setting (Smith & Jones); (iv) level of psychiatric symptoms (Reddon et al ., ; Reisman & Blakeney); (v) rates of consumer to consumer aggression (Sivak, ); and (vi) physiological signs of arousal (Reddon et al .). In general, for those outcomes that were reported, authors suggested that the use of sensory approaches was associated with positive outcomes.…”

Use of a Sensory Room on an Intensive Care Unit

“…The majority of the twelve research studies are qualitative in nature, asking staff and patients about their experiences of using sensory rooms. Overall these studies report positive experiences from both staff and patients regarding the introduction of sensory rooms, including: positive responses to the use of sensory interventions (Sutton & Nicholson 2011); psychological and physiological improvements among patients (Reddon et al 2004), an increased state of relaxation following sensory room sessions (Costa et al 2006) and lower levels of distress (Champagne 2003;Cummings et al 2010;Sivak 2012). However, the use of a sensory room is not without its challenges, particularly for staff; a study by Te Pou o te Whakarro Nui (2010) conducted in New Zealand found that staff lacked confidence using sensory rooms even after receiving training.…”

Assessment of the Long-Term Benefits of Life Skills Programming on Psychosocial Adjustment

“…The immediate improvements in depression symptoms for both genders, as well as decreases in psychiatric symptoms for women, did not diminish over time in individuals who were assessed between six months and six years since treatment. This is an especially positive finding when one compares durable effects of Life Skills with the temporary psychosocial effects of psychopharmacological treatments and short-term relaxation therapies (Reddon, Hoang, Sehgal, & Marjanovic, 2004). Wallace (1993) suggested that clients are more likely to deteriorate and re-experience acute psychiatric symptoms if psychosocial rehabilitative programs are not continued for at least two years, but the results of the present study indicate that 16 weeks of Life Skills training positively affects long-term psychosocial adjustment.…”