The ward atmosphere scale for psychiatric inpatients with intellectual disability: a pilot study

Abstract

Purpose -Patients who have inteilectual disabiiity and mentai iiiness wili occasionally need inpatient treatment. However, research is sparse on psychosociai factors infiuencing psychiatric units for patients with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to examine whether aduits with inteilectual disabilities can reliably rate the Ward Atmosphere Scale -Real Ward (WAS-R).Design/methodology/approach -A total of 17 patients with mild and moderate inteilectual disability and 21 staff members were asked to complete the WAS-R. The authors used six subscales (involvement, support, practicai orientation, order and organisation, angry and aggressive behaviour, and staff controi) that have proved to be of major importance for patient satisfaction and treatment outcome to measure the patients ' and the staff members'perceptions of the treatment milieu. To examine the internai consistency Cronbach's alpha was calcuiated for the patient and staff scores, respectiveiy. Findings -A total of 16 patients completed the form. Patients with mild intellectual disabilities were able to answer the WAS with some help, whereas patients with moderate intellectual disabiiities had major difficulties with understanding more than half of the WAS items. These difficuities were aiso reflected in the internal consistency scores. Cronbach's alpha was satisfactory (>0.50) for five subscales for patients with miid inteiiectual disabilities, but only satisfactory for two of the six subscales for patients with moderate inteiiectual disabiiities. Researcii iimitations/impiications -A replication study should use a shorter version of the WAS-R, and family or caregivers shouid answer the WAS-R additionally to the patients.Originaiity/vaiue -This study may encourage more research on treatment milieu for patients with intellectual disability and mental illness.

Social climate in Learning Disability services

“…There has been no tool specifically designed to measure social climate in Learning Disability services. The WAS has recently been validated for use with individuals with mild Learning Disabilities (Bakken et al, 2012). However, given that the WAS is considered to be outdated and the EssenCES provides a shorter and more simple measure of climate (Schalast et al, 2008), it would seem that the EssenCES would be a more appropriate tool to measure social climate in Learning Disability services.…”

Inpatient treatment of borderline personality disorder in adults with intellectual disability: reflections on practice

“…They also scored the ABC and the SCL-90-R. The SCL-90-R is a self-rating scale, however, this instrument is often scored by clinicians in the SPID (sometimes interviewing the patients) for patients who are not able to score themselves or even being interviewed (Bakken et al, 2012). Additionally, the patients recruited for this study had been discharged, and therefore the clinicians scored the SCL-90-R retrospectively from case files, using reports at time for admission and discharge.…”

The value of purpose built mental health facilities: Use of the Ward Atmosphere Scale to gauge the link between milieu and physical environment

“…Bakken et al . ; Eklund & Hansson ; Schjødt et al . ), and demonstrates high item‐to‐item correlations, adequate test–retest reliability, and high profile stability (Moos & Hoots ).…”

“…At the same time, however, previous studies have demonstrated that perceptions of the ideal ward atmosphere are different for consumers and staff, and also different between consumer groups (Bakken et al . ; Schjødt et al . ).…”