Policy Recommendations for Interventions Against the Lack of Activities & Boredom in Psych Wards

Policy Recommendations for Interventions Against the Lack of Activities & Boredom in Psych Wards
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Abstract
Boredom is a major challenge in many psychiatry wards. This dullness occasioned by the lack of group activities are significant problems in (HMC) and many other psychiatric units. According to HMC hospital’s management, the local problem of boredom and lack of activity was raised by the patients' satisfaction survey they complete during their discharge process. A review of evidence from various databases confirm the gravity of the problem. Consequences of this lack of activities are dire and include self-harm, aggression, fighting with peers, poor patient satisfaction, and restraint. Previous studies conducted on the topic has also presented some possible solutions to the challenge including mindfulness-enhancing activities, creativity-enhancing activities, and group activities. Mindfulness enhancing activities include meditation and yoga. Creativity-enhancing activities include art, coloring, and music therapy. Group activities include bingo and group walks. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this study recommends individual activities: mindfulness-enhancing activities and creativity-enhancing activities.
Introduction
The Local Problem
Boredom has several definitions and can best be understood as an affective state that leads to the lack of meaning. The condition is characterized by a state of low arousal and dullness (Marshall et al., 2020). This dullness occasioned by the lack of group activities are significant problems in (HMC) and many other psychiatric units (Bowser et al., 2018). HMC is a state hospital providing a wide range of mental health services to patients who are individuals who have experienced mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, and substance abuse. HMC has three psychiatric units, two of which offer different kinds of group activities and psychotherapy. However, the 5MB psych ICU does not have any group activities because it deals with more acute psychotic-related illnesses. The majority of 5MB patients are admitted to the hospital involuntarily due to having a grave disability or being diagnosed as posing a danger to themselves or others. These patients are often less cooperative than those voluntarily admitted to the other two psychiatric units. The lack of ward-based activities in 5MB reduces both the patients’ care experiences and their satisfaction.
Consequently, the patients suffer from apathy and ennui behaviors that leads to self-harm and aggressive behavior towards staff or other patients, negatively affecting the patients’ well-being (Marshall et al., 2020). If patients get bored from a lack of activities, they tend to stay longer at the psych ICU. Moreover, if they are not recovering sooner, the hospital ends up having increased recovery times resulting in increased health costs. Due to this problem, the hospital has been forced to focus more resources on patients to provide them with more individual or group activities. 
According to the hospital management, the local problem of boredom and lack of activity was raised by the patients' satisfaction survey they complete during ...