Prevention and management of patient risk behaviour in personal safety development: a study of the new hybrid PRE-H training course for psychiatric care

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (Coordinator)

Tella Lantta
RN, PhD, Adjunct Professor and University Lecturer
Tel.: +358504756068
Email: tella.lantta@utu.fi

Adjunct Associate Professor
Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science
Swinburne University of Technology, AUSTRALIA

RESEARCH TEAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TURKU

Maria Ameel

Sanna Koskinen

Maiju Björkqvist

Tiina Överlund

CO-INVESTIGATORS

Lauri Kuosmanen, University of Eastern Finland

Sirpa Tölli, Oulu Uniersity of Applied Science

AIM

The primary objective of the research project is to promote the adoption of evidence-based personal safety training in subsequent psychiatric training by developing a new hybrid form of PRE-H training. The second objective is to increase the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the planning of training, ensuring that the developed training meets the needs of users and enhances its acceptability.

CONTENT

1. Best Practices for Psychiatric Personnel Safety Training

  • Best practices for implementing hybrid and digital safety training- a systematic literature review
  • A mapping of the current personal safety training practices in Finnish psychiatric units
  • Determining best safety training practices with key stakeholders

2. Co-design of the new hybrid PRE-H training course for the Finnish psychiatric care context

3. Evaluate the usability and preliminary impacts of the new hybrid PRE-H training course: a quasi-experimental study.

  • Assessing the usability of an online module of the PRE-H training course for healthcare professionals, healthcare students and teachers
  • Assessing the usability, preliminary impacts on competence development, costs and safety of the new PRE-H training course

THE TARGET GROUP OF THE PRE-H TRAINING COURSE

The training to be developed is intended for all healthcare professionals working in psychiatric care environments, those engaged in immediate patient and client work, and students in the field.

IMPLICATIONS

  • This study will produce a hybrid training course to meet end users’ needs, based on evidence-based methods and best practices.
  • Scientific information on the usability of a hybrid training course, its effects on competence development, costs and safety variables.

PROJECT PROGRESS

The data for the first phase was collected during the autumn of 2025.

Phase two started in November 2025 and will continue till March 2026.

The first results are expected to be published in 2026.

COLLABORATORS

  • Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry
  • Niuvanniemi Hospital
  • The wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland, Turku University Hospital, Division of Psychiatry
  • Vaasa University of Applied Science
  • University of Eastern Finland
  • Oulu University of Applied Science
  • Finnish network on Ethics in the Restriction of Self-Determination

FUNDERS