The Essen Climate Evaluation Schema measure of social climate in a secure service for people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

is based at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Cathy Thomas and Verity Chester are based at Partnerships in Care Learning Disabilities Service, Diss, UK. Abstract Purpose -The aim of the present study is to explore the psychometric properties of the EssenCES measure (patient report) of social climate in a secure sen/ice for people with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach -Patients (37men, 14 women. Mean age = 33.24 years, SD= 11.29, age range: 18-71 years) residing in a secure intellectual disabilities service completed the EssenCES as part of routine clinical practice.Findings -Reliability analysis revealed acceptable reliability for all three subscales (a = 0.76-0.88). In order to consider one aspect of the construct validity of this measure, a predicted group difference regarding the impact of security level on ratings of social climate was investigated. Analysis revealed that social climate ratings were more positive on low secure wards than medium secure wards as measured by the combined EssenCES subscales F(3, 31)= 4.71, p = 0.008; A = 0.69; t)^=0.31, and the Experienced Safety subscale, F(1, 33) = 7.41, p = 0.01. Research ilmitations/implications -Future research should consider the link between social climate and treatment outcome within forensic secure intellectual disability services.Originaiity/vaiue -Results provide preliminary evidence to suggest that the EssenCES subscales (patient report) are reliable in this previously unconsidered population. However the validity of the measure is still unclear and requires further investigation.

Therapeutic alliance, anorexia nervosa and the inpatient setting: A mixed methods study

“…Overall reliability was sound (a = 0.87), although two subscales were lower than desired. Weight concern 4.3 (1.69) 0.5 6.0 0.90 Shape concern 4.8 (1.51) 0 was similar to other studies, more closely corresponding to scores from medium security settings (Milsom et al, 2014;Quinn et al, 2012). Nurses in this study also reported a slightly higher perception of Patient Cohesion and a much higher view of Experienced Safety.…”

“…Consumers scored substantially higher in regard to Patient Cohesion and Experienced Safety, while the opposite was true for Therapeutic Hold. Relative to previous studies (Howells et al., ; Kerfoot et al., ; Milsom, Freestone, Duller, Bouman, & Taylor, ; Quinn, Thomas, & Chester, ; Schalast et al., ), consumers reported higher perceptions of Patient Cohesion and Experienced Safety. The mean consumer Therapeutic Hold subscale score was similar to other studies, more closely corresponding to scores from medium security settings (Milsom et al., ; Quinn et al., ).…”

Measuring relational security in forensic mental health services

“…Tighe & Gudjonsson 2 also reported this effect, as well as authors investigating social climate in secure settings. 16 , 17 A possible explanation for this is that medium secure wards represent the beginning of the care pathway accepting newly admitted patients and, as such, staff have had less opportunity to develop the knowledge of patients and therapeutic relationships necessary to achieve good relational security. As patients progress through the low secure and rehabilitation stages of the care pathway, this provides an opportunity for the components necessary to relational security to develop.…”

Clinician experiences of administering the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES) in a forensic intellectual disability service

“…Quinn et al (2012) completed a preliminary investigation of the psychometric properties of the EssenCES with 51 patients within a secure intellectual disability service. The subscales and total score of the EssenCES demonstrated acceptable or good internal consistency.…”