Measuring the utility of brief psychological intervention in psychiatric hospitals: A call for change

Australas Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 12:10398562241246897. doi: 10.1177/10398562241246897. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Objective: Despite the known importance of regularly monitoring progress when delivering psychological interventions, this is not mandated or seemingly even common practice on Australian inpatient psychiatric wards. Barriers for why this might be the case are described, an argument made to rise above them, and a call for research in this area is made.

Conclusions: Failure to find ways to collect, analyse and be transparent with data around brief inpatient psychological interventions can diminish treatment outcomes and leaves us open to criticism as a profession.

Keywords: brief intervention; inpatient; measurement; mental illness; psychology.