The scenes and spaces of hospital life
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The scenes and spaces of hospital life: staff and psychiatric inpatients’ experiences of care and distress
IRAS ID
134447
Contact name
Paula Reavey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London South Bank University
Research summary
This project focuses on the relationship/s between space and distress in a number of forensic in-patient wards at the Royal Bethlem Psychiatric Hospital in South London. Significant changes have been made to the in-patient wards at Bethlem in recent years, which makes it a valuable site through which explore issues of space and distress for long-term in-patients. Such changes include the movement of male patients through different wards, depending their stage of recovery. Female patients on the other hand remain in one space throughout their stay. We would like to examine the experiences of both sets of patients, to explore the impact of these different spatial arrangements on patients’ experience of their distress, care and eventual recovery. In addition, we would like to gain insight into the ways in which staff work with patients within these spaces.
The importance of environmental factors in the on-going maintenance of psychological well-being is increasingly becoming known. Whilst a rise in research on community spaces has occurred, there has been little research of in-patients’ experiences of their ward environments, which constitute the main site of their everyday activity and experiences. This is particularly important with regards forensic mental health patients, who may remain hospitalised for potentially long periods of time. The focus on the hospital environment will incorporate multiple factors including space, behaviour, physical environment.
Interviewing patients will build understanding of the experience of the fixed physical environment of ward spaces, as well as patients’ behaviour in relation to organising their own activity within those spaces (e.g. arranging furniture, bedroom layout etc).
NHS ethical approval is sought for a maximum of 40 interviews with in-patients and staff from two wards (male and female wards) at Royal Bethlem. Both wards will be located in the River House facility, which are exclusively forensic mental health patients.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1164
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion