Barriers to the implementation of psychosocial interventions on acute mental health wards: an ethnographic observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is notoriously challenging to deliver psychosocial interventions on acute mental health wards. This paper presents an ethnographic observational study which captured how ward and staff processes impacted on the delivery of a psychosocial intervention called TULIPS (Talk, Understand and Listen for Inpatient Settings). Although the paper is focused on one specific intervention, the findings have implications for the delivery of other psychosocial interventions within acute mental health settings.

Method

We carried out participant observation across 6 case studies wards all participating in the intervention arm of a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the TULIPS intervention compared to treatment as usual. Trained researchers observed ward environments,

SUBMITTER: Berry K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11920708 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature