Effects of an orientation videotape for newly admitted psychiatric patients.

Abstract

The presentation of accurate information about impending stressful events has been found to have beneficial effects in a variety of health care settings. In this study, a 30-min videotape was used to orient newly admitted psychiatric patients. The videotape provided information about hospital procedures, mental illness, and psychiatric treatment within 48 hr of admission. An experimental versus control group procedure was used to evaluate the effects of the orientation videotape. Self-report measures revealed that patients viewing the videotape, in comparison with no-videotape controls, experienced fewer hospital fears and more positive psychiatric attitudes, demonstrated more accurate psychiatric information, and tended to be perceived as adjusting better to their hospitalization. A limited follow-up of patients several months later provided some information about the persistence of positive attitudes.A variety of patient groups have been found to benefit from the presentation of accurate information about impending stressful procedures. For example, slide or videotape presentations have assisted in the psychological preparation and adjustment of children undergoing surgical and dental procedures (

Patient Peer Orientation Groups: An Innovative Approach

“…Approaches to decrease stress. Thompson and Mountain (1987) assert that presenting accurate information about impending stressful events "has been found to have beneficial effects in a variety of health care settings" (p. 619). The authors hypothesized that developing some type of program that increased cIient information during the transition phase to an open ward would result in decreased stress for the client, less regression, and fewer transfers back to the closed ward.…”