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Nonpharmacological Therapeutic Techniques to Decrease Agitation in Geriatric Psychiatric Patients With Dementia
Ann M. Mitchell, Laurel Chiappetta, Lynn Boucek, Michelle Cain, Georgia Patterson, Kim Owens, Camellia Herisko, Kirsti Hetager Stark. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2015-02
Topic: Health services, long-term care and technology
Agitation is not only a frequent and disturbing behavior for many patients with dementia, but it also troubles their caregivers and families. Many serious problems and side effects are associated with the use of medications to treat agitation; therefore, alternative approaches to treating agitation must be assessed. The current article presents results from a quality improvement pilot project that examined the usefulness of a specially designed, multisensory room intervention for geriatric psychiatric inpatients with mild to moderate agitation. Thirty-two visits to the sensory room were made by 13 inpatients with dementia. A significant decrease occurred in the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS) total scores over time from pre-room to post-room intervention, as well as 1-hour post-room intervention ( F = 95.3, p < 0.001). Significant effects were found for all PAS subscales (i.e., aberrant vocalizations, motor agitation, and resistance to care), with the exception of the aggression subscale. The multisensory room intervention was effective in decreasing some symptoms of agitation in the geriatric psychiatric patient, thus contributing to positive patient, family, and nursing outcomes. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 41 (2), 53–59.]
Key findings
- Many serious problems and side effects are associated with the use of medications to treat agitation; therefore, alternative approaches to treating agitation must be assessed.
- The current article presents results from a quality improvement pilot project that examined the usefulness of a specially designed, multisensory room intervention for geriatric psychiatric inpatients with mild to moderate agitation.
- A significant decrease occurred in the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS) total scores over time from pre-room to post-room intervention, as well as 1-hour post-room intervention ( F = 95.3, p < 0.001).
- Significant effects were found for all PAS subscales (i.e., aberrant vocalizations, motor agitation, and resistance to care), with the exception of the aggression subscale.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 20 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 36 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Gerontological Nursing) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 20 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 20 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 36 out of 100. |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Mitchell, A. M., Chiappetta, L., Boucek, L., Cain, M., Patterson, G., Owens, K., et al. (2015). Nonpharmacological Therapeutic Techniques to Decrease Agitation in Geriatric Psychiatric Patients With Dementia. Journal of Gerontological Nursing. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20141014-02
Vancouver
Mitchell AM, Chiappetta L, Boucek L, Cain M, Patterson G, Owens K, et al. Nonpharmacological Therapeutic Techniques to Decrease Agitation in Geriatric Psychiatric Patients With Dementia. Journal of Gerontological Nursing. 2015. doi:10.3928/00989134-20141014-02.
BibTeX
@article{mitchell2015-e5849a38,
author = {Mitchell, Ann M. and Chiappetta, Laurel and Boucek, Lynn and Cain, Michelle and Patterson, Georgia and Owens, Kim and Herisko, Camellia and Stark, Kirsti Hetager},
title = {{Nonpharmacological Therapeutic Techniques to Decrease Agitation in Geriatric Psychiatric Patients With Dementia}},
journal = {Journal of Gerontological Nursing},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.3928/00989134-20141014-02},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20141014-02}
}