Ward 8 active psychiatric for initial hospitalizations

Ward description:
The patient population includes both men and women aged 18-62, for whom this is their first hospitalization in Israel, and who suffer from mental illnesses/disorders that require treatment in a hospital setting.

 
In addition the ward also hosts patients who are regular/reserve soldiers.
 
The main diagnoses of people treated at the ward are: Schizophrenia, bipolar illness (manic depression), depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder and personality disorders. In addition the ward also hosts people under a court order for mental evaluation.

 
The ward's structure provides a safe environment for inpatients (restricted wing) and upon improvement in their condition they are transferred to the open wing, where it is possible freely exit the ward to the hospital area.

 
The treatment approach is a combined multidisciplinary one. Depending on the individual treatment program, planned by a ward multidisciplinary forum, and which includes medication, emotional an individual and/or group treatment. In addition reference is also made to the rehabilitation needs of the patient.
 
The existing groups are in various fields:

• Talk groups - operating at both the restricted and the open wings, in which patients are asked to raise issues that concern them during their stay in the ward.

Guidance groups guided by the nursing staff in the following areas:

• Rights and Duties of the patients
• Medication - its effectiveness and importance
• Discussing the hospitalization conditions - a group intended for all the patients in the ward, aimed at enabling discussion about issues related to the hospitalization conditions, in order to meet the unique needs (guided by a multidisciplinary team)
• Preparation for functioning during leave from hospital
• Preparation for discharge
• Healthy nutrition
• Smoking Prevention and details of its harms
• Physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.
• Movement therapy - a therapy group guided by a movement therapist.
• Current events

The ward includes a gym for the patients, located and operated by the occupational therapy staff.
 
Training:
The ward is recognized for General Psychiatry internship by the Scientific Council of the Medical Association.
 
Academia and Research
 
Students: As a university department, students from the various treatment subjects (medicine, social work, nursing, clinical psychology and occupational therapy) arrive to experience gain practical learning through the mentoring and close supervision of the ward's staff, including students from academic institutions abroad.
 
Research: A research unit is integrated within the ward and led by Prof. __________ who is an associate professor at the Technion medical school.

 
The unit routinely performs clinical scientific researches in order to develop efficient diagnosis and treatment methods, while focusing on causal, biological, social and environmental causes.

 
For many years the research at the ward focuses on basic mental illnesses all their various aspects: Schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression) and more.
 
At the same time with focusing on the study of basic neurobiological and genetic aspects, the research also focuses on clinical issues such as: Patients' response to treatment, predictive factors for response, and side effects of treatments - in order to promptly identify them and respond to them. The cumulative experience, resulted in the publication of two booklets intended for the patients, their families and the general public: One about schizophrenia, and the second about bipolar illness.

Innovative treatment methods were developed at the ward, which were adopted by the global psychiatric community, and which relate to two key issues:

1. Obesity as a result of drug treatments.
2. Side effects of antipsychotic drugs which inhibit the willingness to consume medication.

Published studies include:

• Poyurovsky M. Schizo-Obsssive Disorder. Cambridge University Press, 2013.
• Poyurovsky M. antipsychotic-induced akathisia revisited.  British Journal of Psychiatry, 2010; 196; 81-92.
• Poyurovsky M. et el. Adherence to antipsychotic drug treatment in early episode schizophrenia. A six months naturalistic follow-up study. Schizophrenia Research 2011; 130; 176-181