Impulsivity and reward and punishment sensitivity among patients admitted to a specialized inpatient eating disorder treatment program.

Introduction: Eating disorders (EDs) are conceptualized as disorders of under- and over-control, with impulsivity reflecting under-control. Extant research indicates that impulsivity and related factors such as reward sensitivity and punishment sensitivity may serve as trait-level transdiagnostic risk and/or maintenance factors in EDs. Findings on impulsivity and reward and punishment sensitivity by diagnosis are mixed and research on the relationship between these factors and ED symptoms, hospital course, and treatment outcomes is limited. Methods: Participants (N = 228) were patients admitted to a specialized inpatient behavioral treatment program for EDs who agreed to participate in a longitudinal study and completed self-report measures of impulsivity, reward sensitivity, and punishment sensitivity at admission. Weight and ED symptomatology were measured at admission and discharge. Hospital course variables included length of stay and premature treatment dropout. Results: Impulsivity was lower in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) restricting type compared to those with AN binge/purge type or bulimia nervosa; no other group differences were observed. Higher impulsivity was associated with greater bulimic symptoms on the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI-2) at admission. Impulsivity was not related to ED symptoms, weight outcomes, length of hospital stay, or treatment dropout at program discharge. Conclusion: Impulsivity may help distinguish restrictive versus binge/purge EDs, but does not necessarily relate to discharge outcomes in an intensive inpatient ED program. Findings from this study provide novel contributions to the literature on personality traits in EDs and have important clinical implications. Results suggest that patients with higher levels of impulsivity or reward and punishment sensitivity can be expected to respond to inpatient treatment. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Willingness to experience unpleasant thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations at admission does not predict treatment outcome in inpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Some persons with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) refuse or drop out of treatment because of the aversive nature of exposure and response prevention therapy when they have to face and tolerate unpleasant thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. Indeed, one study suggested that a higher willingness to experience unpleasant thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations (WTE) predicts a better treatment outcome, but this finding has not been replicated yet. METHODS: We examined whether WTE at admission predicted treatment outcome in a sample of 324 inpatients with OCD who received a multimodal treatment that included cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention sessions. RESULTS: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (based on OCD-specific self-report questionnaires) decreased with medium-to-large effect sizes (all ps < 0.001) and global functioning (based on therapist ratings) increased with a large effect size (d = 1.3, p < 0.001) from admission to discharge. In contrast to previous findings, however, WTE did not predict treatment outcome (all ps > 0.005). The effect of WTE on treatment outcome remained non-significant when controlling for any comorbidity, age, sex, length of stay, and antidepressant medication and was not moderated by these variables. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that higher WTE at the beginning of inpatient treatment does not facilitate improvements in obsessive-compulsive symptoms from admission to discharge. However, they also indicate that lower WTE at the beginning of inpatient treatment does not adversely affect treatment outcome, that is, even patients who indicate that they are unwilling to face the negative experiences associated with exposure and response prevention can still achieve considerable symptom reductions.

Group cognitive remediation therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Outcomes before, after, and during follow-up in a real-world setting in Japan.

Objective: Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) can be used as an adjunct treatment for adolescents with severe and complex anorexia nervosa (AN) requiring inpatient treatment. However, there has been only one study on CRT for adolescents with AN in Japan. This study explored group CRT as an adjunct to inpatient treatment for Japanese adolescents with severe and complex AN requiring inpatient care. Methods: Thirty-one adolescents with AN underwent group CRT. Neuropsychological (set-shifting and central coherence) and psychological assessments (motivation, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms) were measured before and after the intervention. Weight and AN symptoms were measured before and after the intervention and at follow-up, and the adolescents completed post-intervention and follow-up questionnaires. Results: Set-shifting led to medium to large effect size improvements. Medium effect size improvements in central coherence and depressive symptoms were also observed. The feedback from the adolescents was mainly positive, and the treatment completion rate was high. The patients also reported that the skills learned through group CRT could be applied in daily life. Conclusion: Group CRT may be beneficial for adolescents with severe and complex AN who require inpatient care.

Why was this study done? Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) can be used as an adjunct treatment for adolescents with severe and complex anorexia nervosa (AN) requiring inpatient treatment. However, there has been only one study on CRT for adolescents with AN in Japan. This study explored group CRT as an additional inpatient treatment for adolescents with severe and complex AN requiring inpatient care in Japan. What did the researchers do? A total of 31 adolescents with AN underwent group CRT. Cognitive function and psychological parameters (motivation, self-efficacy, and depressive symptoms) were measured before and after group CRT. Body mass index and AN symptoms were evaluated before and after group CRT and at follow-up. The adolescents completed post-therapy and follow-up questionnaires. What did the researchers find? Cognitive function and depressive symptoms improved after group CRT. The feedback from the adolescents was mostly positive, and 29 of the 31 adolescents completed group CRT. Many adolescents also reported that they used the skills learned through group CRT in their daily lives. What do the findings mean? Group CRT may be beneficial for adolescents with severe and complex AN who require inpatient care.

Effects of inpatient, residential, and day-patient treatment on obsessive-compulsive symptoms in persons with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with severe or treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often need an extensive treatment which cannot be provided by outpatient care. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the effects and their moderators of inpatient, residential, or day-patient treatment on obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with OCD. METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were systematically screened according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were selected if they were conducted in an inpatient, residential, or day-patient treatment setting, were using a number of pre-defined instruments for assessing OCD symptom severity, and had a sample size of at least 20 patients. RESULTS: We identified 43 eligible studies in which inpatient, residential, or day-patient treatment was administered. The means and standard deviations at admission, discharge, and-if available-at follow-up were extracted. All treatment programs included cognitive-behavioral treatment with exposure and response prevention. Only one study reported to not have used psychopharmacological medication. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms decreased from admission to discharge with large effect sizes (g = -1.59, 95%CI [-1.76; -1.41]) and did not change from discharge to follow-up (g = 0.06, 95%CI [-0.09; 0.21]). Length of stay, age, sex, and region did not explain heterogeneity across the studies but instrument used did: effects were larger for clinician-rated interviews than for self-report measures. CONCLUSIONS: Persons with OCD can achieve considerable symptom reductions when undertaking inpatient, residential, or day-patient treatment and effects are-on average-maintained after discharge.

Recovery of adults with autism spectrum disorder during intensive inpatient treatment: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Although some adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require intensive and specialized ASD treatment, there is little research on how these adults experience the recovery process. Recovery is defined as the significant improvement in general functioning compared to the situation prior to treatment. Methods: This qualitative study describes the recovery process from the perspective of adults on the autism spectrum during intensive inpatient treatment. Semi-structured interviews (n = 15) were carried out and analyzed according to the principles of grounded theory. Results: Our results indicate that, given the specific characteristics of autism, therapeutic interventions and goal-oriented work cannot be carried out successfully, and the recovery process cannot begin, if no good working relationship has been established, and if care is not organized in ways that a person on the autism spectrum finds clear and predictable.

Factors contributing to readmission in patients with psychotic disorders, with a special reference to first follow-up visit in outpatient care.

BACKGROUND: Timely outpatient follow-up and readmission after discharge are common quality indicators in psychiatric care, but their association varies in previous research. We aimed to examine whether the impact of outpatient follow-up and other factors on readmission risk evolves over time in people with non-affective psychotic disorder (NAP). METHODS: The Finnish Quality of Care Register includes all people diagnosed with NAP since January 2010. Here, we followed patients with a hospital discharge between 2017 and 2021 until readmission, death, or up to 365 days. Time of the first outpatient follow-up appointment, length of stay (LOS), number of previous hospitalizations, psychosis diagnosis, substance use disorder (SUD), residential status, economic activity, gender, age, year, and region were included. Follow-up time was divided into five periods: week 1, weeks 2-4, weeks 5-13, weeks 14-25, and weeks 26-52, and each period was analyzed separately with Cox regression. RESULTS: Of the 29 858 discharged individuals, 54.1% had an outpatient follow-up within a week. A total of 10 623 (35.6%) individuals were readmitted. Short LOS increased the readmission risk in the first four weeks, whereas lack of outpatient follow-up raised the risk (adjusted HRs between 1.15 (95% CI 1.04-1.26) and 1.53 (1.37-1.71) in weeks 5-52. The number of previous hospitalizations remained a consistent risk factor throughout the follow-up, while SUD increased risk after 4 weeks and living without family after 13 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors of readmission vary over time. These temporal patterns must be considered when developing outpatient treatment programs.

Comparing the medication costs of treating patients with schizophrenia who use cannabis with those who do not.

Background: Cannabis use is more prevalent among people with schizophrenia than in the general population. This usage detrimentally impacts disease prognosis, contributing to escalated admissions, heightened severity of psychotic symptoms, and reduced medication response. The recent decriminalisation of cannabis in South Africa may lead to an upsurge in usage, consequently intensifying the strain on mental healthcare services. Aim: This study aimed to compare the medication costs of patients with schizophrenia depending on cannabis use. Setting: Weskoppies Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, 2018-2019. Methods: Data pertaining to medication expenses during the 2018-2019 period were acquired from the hospital pharmacy. Data were collected from 114 patient records to form two equal cohorts: one exposed to cannabis and the other non-exposed, as indicated by urine drug screens or admission of cannabis use. Medications prescribed from admission to time of being ready for discharge were recorded and corresponding costs were calculated. Results: Patients who were exposed to cannabis had higher medication costs (R 516.47) than patients who were non-exposed (R 328.69) (p = 0.0519), over the whole admission period. Conclusion: Cannabis exposure escalates the financial burden of treating schizophrenia at Weskoppies Hospital. This might be attributed to failure of cost-effective, first-line medications prompting the prescription of costlier, second-line alternatives or higher prescribed dosages. Contribution: This study contributes to findings that it is more expensive to treat patients with schizophrenia who have relapsed, if they are using cannabis. This finding has future cost implications when budgeting for pharmacotherapeutic treatment.

Delayed discharge in inpatient psychiatric care: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Delayed discharge is problematic. It is financially costly and can create barriers to delivering best patient care, by preventing return to usual functioning and delaying admissions of others in need. This systematic review aimed to collate existing evidence on delayed discharge in psychiatric inpatient settings and to develop understanding of factors and outcomes of delays in these services. METHODS: A search of relevant literature published between 2002 and 2022 was conducted on Pubmed, PsycInfo and Embase. Studies of any design, which published data on delayed discharge from psychiatric inpatient care in high income countries were included. Studies examining child and adolescent, general medical or forensic settings were excluded. A narrative synthesis method was utilised. Quality of research was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). RESULTS: Eighteen studies from England, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and Norway met the inclusion criteria. Six main reasons for delayed discharge were identified: (1) accommodation needs, (2) challenges securing community or rehabilitation support, (3) funding difficulties, (4) family/carer factors, (5) forensic considerations and (6) person being out of area. Some demographic and clinical factors were also found to relate to delays, such as having a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, cognitive impairment, and increased service input prior to admission. Being unemployed and socially isolated were also linked to delays. Only one study commented on consequences of delays for patients, finding they experienced feelings of lack of choice and control. Four studies examined consequences on services, identifying high financial costs. CONCLUSION: Overall, the findings suggest there are multiple interlinked factors relevant in delayed discharge that should be considered in practice and policy. Suggestions for future research are discussed, including investigating delayed discharge in other high-income countries, examining delayed discharge from child and forensic psychiatric settings, and exploring consequences of delays on patients and staff. We suggest that future research be consistent in terms used to define delayed discharge, to enhance the clarity of the evidence base. REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER ON PROSPERO: 292515. DATE OF REGISTRATION: 9th December 2021.

Illness duration and treatment outcome of intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy in adolescents with anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of an intensive treatment based on enhanced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-E) in patients aged between 12 and 18 years with anorexia nervosa with a duration of illness <3 versus ≥3 years. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-nine consecutively treated patients (n = 122 with illness duration <3 years and n = 37 ≥ 3 years) were enrolled in a 20-week intensive CBT-E program. All patients underwent assessment at admission, end of treatment (EOT), and 20-week follow-up. The following measures were used: body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile and percentage of expected body weight (EBW), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Clinical Impairment Assessment. RESULTS: Approximately 81% of eligible patients began the program, with over 80% successfully completing it. Patients with a longer or shorter duration of illness did not show significantly different treatment outcomes. In detail, BMI-for-age percentile and percentage of EBW outcomes were significantly improved from baseline to EOT, remaining stable until 20-week follow-up in both groups. Similarly, in both groups, scores for eating disorder psychopathology, general psychopathology, and clinical impairment decreased significantly at EOT and remained stable from EOT to follow-up. Furthermore, a substantial percentage of adolescents in both groups achieved a good BMI outcome at EOT and 20-week follow-up, with approximately 60% maintaining a full response at the latter time point. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that intensive CBT-E appears to be an effective treatment for severely ill adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa, regardless of whether the duration of illness is shorter or longer than 3 years. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Existing treatment outcome studies in adolescents, whether randomized controlled trials or longitudinal investigations, typically involve patients with less than 3 years of illness, while data on the treatment outcomes for adolescents with anorexia nervosa with an illness duration of 3 years or over is very limited. Our findings suggest that adolescents with anorexia nervosa, irrespective of the duration of their illness, can derive similar benefits from intensively CBT-E.

Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Episodes and Subsequent Labor Market Trajectories.

PURPOSE: Adolescents with psychiatric disorders are known to be more often not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in young adulthood than their peers. However, since most of the available evidence is based on cross-sectional measurement of NEET, there is less evidence on the processes underlying these differences in labor market disadvantage. We assessed these processes by examining transitions between NEET and non-NEET states across young adulthood and the differences in these transitions by adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment. METHODS: We used longitudinal register data on all individuals born in Finland in 1980-1984 (N = 315,508) to identify psychiatric inpatient episodes between ages 10 and 19 and NEET between ages 20 and 34. We modeled the transitions between NEET and non-NEET states and the impact of psychiatric disorders on these transitions with multistate models. RESULTS: Individuals who had psychiatric inpatient episodes in adolescence started their labor market careers as NEET twice as often as their peers. They were also more likely to transition into NEET states and less likely to transition out of NEET. In total, individuals with a history of psychiatric episodes spent from 1.8 to 6.9 more years as NEET between the ages 20 and 34 than their peers, depending on sex, baseline NEET, and diagnostic group. DISCUSSION: Adolescents with severe psychiatric disorders are highly vulnerable in terms of labor market outcomes throughout their early adulthood. Supportive measures are required both at the start of employment trajectories and during later career stages.

Effect of an interdisciplinary inpatient program for patients with complex regional pain syndrome in reducing disease activity-a single-center prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of inpatient treatment in reducing disease activity in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) who have exhausted outpatient options. Furthermore, the study sought to identify patient-related outcome variables that predict a reduction in disease activity. METHODS: The primary outcome was disease severity (CRPS Severity Score, range 0-16 points). Secondary outcomes included depression, anxiety, physical function, pain interference, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and the ability to participate in social roles and activities, all of which were assessed using the PROMIS-29. Furthermore, pain catastrophizing, neuropathic pain, quality of life, pain self-efficacy, medication intake, and the patient's global impression of change were examined in accordance with current international agreed recommendations, assessed at discharge, 3-month, and 6-month post-discharge. Mixed-effects models were conducted to identify baseline variables associated with CRPS severity. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients completed the program (mean age 49.28 [SD 11.23] years, 92% females, mean symptom duration 8.5 [SD 6.5] months). Results showed a significant reduction between baseline and discharge of disease activity (CSS -2.36, P < .0001), pain (PROMIS-29 pain -0.88, P = .005), and emotional function (PROMIS-29 depression -5.05, P < .001; fatigue -4.63, P = .002). Moderate evidence for a reduction between baseline and discharge could be observed for pain interference (+2.27, P = .05), social participation (PROMIS-29 + 1.93, P = .05), anxiety (PROMIS-29 -3.32, P = .02) and physical function (PROMIS-29 + 1.3, P = .03). On discharge, 92% of patients (23 of 25) reported improvement in their overall condition. In the follow-up period, medication intake could be reduced after 3 (MQS -8.22, P = .002) and 6 months (MQS -8.69, P = .001), and there was further improvement in social participation after 3 months (PROMIS-29 + 1.72, 0.03) and sleep after 6 months (PROMIS-29 + 2.38, 0.008). In the mixed models, it was demonstrated that patients experiencing less pain at baseline also exhibited lower disease activity. CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm that inpatient interdisciplinary treatment of CRPS patients improves disease activity, pain, physical function, emotional function, and social participation. Most improvements were maintained for up to 6 months after discharge. The majority of patients reported that their overall condition had improved during the study period.

Duration of daily life activities in persons with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Persons with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often impaired in their daily level of functioning due to their time-consuming obsessions and/or compulsions. To date, however, studies are lacking that quantify how much time persons with OCD actually spend on activities of daily living. Therefore, the current study assessed 13 daily life activities (in minutes) with a self-report questionnaire in 299 persons with OCD at admission to inpatient treatment and 300 age- and sex-matched persons without OCD. A majority of persons with OCD indicated that they experienced obsessions and/or compulsions when leaving (84%) and cleaning (70%) the apartment, grocery shopping (66%), changing clothes (66%), and showering with (62%) and without (63%) shampooing. Persons with OCD who experienced obsessions and/or compulsions during a given daily life activity-but not those who did not experience obsessions and/or compulsions during these activities-reported longer durations for performing 10 of the 13 activities than persons without OCD. For most activities, longer durations related weakly but significantly to higher OCD symptom severity. Results indicate that the duration of daily life activities seems to depend more on whether persons with OCD experience obsessions and/or compulsions during a specific activity and less on whether a person is diagnosed with OCD in general. Future studies may use other assessment methods that allow for tracking the duration in daily life in real time.

Outcomes among youth attending inpatient treatment for co-occurring disorders.

AIM: An emerging body of research is identifying effective outpatient integrated treatment approaches for youth with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, though few studies exist examining inpatient treatment. The current study aimed to address this gap by examining response to treatment during admission to, and in the year following discharge from, a specialized inpatient program for youth with co-occurring disorders. METHODS: A single-cohort longitudinal design examined change in adaptive functioning, mental health symptoms, and substance use frequency among N = 142 youth (69.1% female) aged 14-21 (M = 16.9, SD = 1.5) attending the program. Participants completed self-report measures at admission, discharge, and 1-, 6- and 12-months post-discharge. RESULTS: Analyses indicated significant improvements in adaptive functioning, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and substance use frequency during admission. There was some loss of gains in adaptive functioning over the 12-months post-discharge. Improvements were maintained in internalizing symptoms and substance use frequency, and improvements in externalizing symptoms continued over the 12-months post-discharge. There was no significant interaction between change in functioning and internalizing symptoms at admission or type of substance use disorder diagnosis. There was a significant interaction with externalizing symptoms, such that those with clinically significant levels of externalizing symptoms at admission experienced greater improvement in functioning, though the groups ended treatment with comparable functioning scores. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide preliminary support for integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders delivered in an inpatient setting. However, the results also reflect the significant needs of youth with co-occurring disorders and the importance of ongoing care post-discharge from intensive treatment settings.

[Inpatient care for psoriasis: quo vadis?-A retrospective study at the University Hospitals of Aachen, Bonn, and Essen from 2010 to 2019]. / Stationäre Psoriasistherapie: Quo vadis? ­ Eine retrospektive Studie an den Universitätskliniken Aachen, Bonn und Essen im Zeitraum von 2010 bis 2019.

INTRODUCTION: A number of new, highly effective biologic drugs for psoriasis have been approved over the past few decades, which raises the question whether psoriasis is still a disease that requires inpatient treatment. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of inpatient data between 2010 and 2019 (the last 10 years prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic) from three German dermatology departments at university hospitals (Aachen, Bonn, and Essen). The data collected included age, gender, the primary admission diagnosis, length of stay (LOS), and number of all comorbidities recorded during hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 59,500 patients were admitted to the three dermatological departments in the defined 10-year period. Of these patients, psoriasis (L40.-) was the main diagnosis for 4322 (7.3%). An almost continuous increase was observed in all inpatient dermatological cases, which was as high as 27% in 2016 compared to 2010. For psoriasis patients, the most substantial increase in the number of admissions was reached in 2016 compared to 2010 and was as high as 45%. While there was a statistically significant reduction of the mean LOS for all dermatological inpatient cases from 6.4 ± 6.6 days in 2010 to 5.1 ± 4.6 days in 2019 (p < 0.001), the decrease in 2019 compared to 2010 (from 12.2 ± 5.5 to 8.9 ± 3.3 days) was significantly greater for the inpatient psoriasis patients compared to the inpatient population overall (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show a stable need for inpatient psoriasis facilities in Germany. Further analysis of hospital admissions after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is needed to understand the ongoing influence of modern systemic treatment options on inpatient psoriasis care in Germany.

Originalbeiträge (Originals). Psychotherapeutic inpatient depression treatment in open versus closed group format.

OBJECTIVE: Controversy exists about the comparative efficacy of different group formats, e. g., open versus closed. Most of the findings come from outpatient, closed group research. In practice, the open format is more widely used. This monocentric study aims to compare the efficacy as well as group cohesion during inpatient group psychotherapy for depression delivered in an open versus closed format. METHODS: 291 depressed inpatients (ageM= 55.7, SD = 11) of a psychosomatic-rehabilitation clinic were consecutively assigned to either open (n = 117) or closed (n = 174) cognitive-behavioral groups, further subdivided into groups based on length of the stay. Using multilevel models, we examined depression and group cohesion concerning changes in patients' random effects over time. RESULTS: Both group formats showed a reduction in symptomatology (d = 1.8). A significant group format x time interaction in favor of the closed format was found regarding group cohesion. CONCLUSION: While group cohesion improved in the closed format only, we did not find any significant difference between group formats regarding their efficacy. Further research should focus on randomized controlled trials comparing both formats directly.

Step away from depression-results from a multicenter randomized clinical trial with a pedometer intervention during and after inpatient treatment of depression.

Evidence for the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) in the treatment of depression prevails for outpatients with mild and moderate symptom levels. For inpatient treatment of severe depression, evidence-based effectiveness exists only for structured and supervised group PA interventions. The Step Away from Depression (SAD) study investigated the effectiveness of an individual pedometer intervention (PI) combined with an activity diary added to inpatient treatment as usual (TAU). In this multicenter randomized controlled trial, 192 patients were randomized to TAU or TAU plus PI. The two primary outcomes at discharge were depression-blindly rated with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)-and average number of daily steps measured by accelerometers. Secondary outcomes were self-rated depression and PA, anxiety, remission and response rates. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed no significant difference between both groups for depression and daily steps. Mean MADRS scores at baseline were 29.5 (SD = 8.3) for PI + TAU and 28.8 (SD = 8.1) for TAU and 16.4 (SD = 10.3) and 17.2 (SD = 9.9) at discharge, respectively. Daily steps rose from 6285 (SD = 2321) for PI + TAU and 6182 (SD = 2290) for TAU to 7248 (SD = 2939) and 7325 (SD = 3357). No differences emerged between groups in secondary outcomes. For severely depressed inpatients, a PI without supervision or further psychological interventions is not effective. Monitoring, social reinforcement and motivational strategies should be incorporated in PA interventions for this population to reach effectiveness.

Autopsy of a failed trial part 2: Outcomes, challenges, and lessons learnt from the DAISIES trial.

OBJECTIVE: The relative merits of inpatient or day-treatment for adults with anorexia nervosa (AN) are unknown. The DAISIES trial aimed to establish the non-inferiority of a stepped-care day patient treatment (DPT) approach versus inpatient treatment as usual (IP-TAU) for improving body mass index (BMI) at 12 months in adults with AN. The trial was terminated due to poor recruitment. This paper presents outcomes and investigates the reasons behind the trial's failure. METHOD: Fifteen patients with AN (of 53 approached) participated and were followed-up to 6 or 12 months. Summary statistics were calculated due to low sample size, and qualitative data concerning treatment experiences were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, participants in both trial arms rated stepped-care DPT as more acceptable. At 12 months, participants' BMIs had increased in both trial arms. Qualitative analysis highlighted valued and challenging aspects of care across settings. Only 6/12 sites opened for recruitment. Among patients approached, the most common reason for declining participation was their treatment preference (n = 12/38). CONCLUSIONS: No conclusions can be drawn concerning the effectiveness of IP-TAU and stepped-care DPT, but the latter was perceived more positively. Patient-related, service-related and systemic factors (COVID-19) contributed to the trial's failure. Lessons learnt can inform future studies.