Patient-Reported Outcomes, Influencing Factors, Nursing Care/Intervention(s) and Measurement Scales of Psychiatric and/or Mental Health Nursing in Hospitals: A Systematic Review

Abstract

IntroductionThe assessment of patient-reported outcomes of psychiatric and/or mental health nursing remains understudied, limiting understanding of what matters to patients.AimTo identify, appraise and synthesise available evidence on patient-reported outcomes, influencing factors, nursing care/interventions and measurement scales of mental health nursing in hospitals.MethodOvid MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, APA PsychARTICLES, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from conception to April 2024 (update March 2025). Two reviewers independently screened and selected the studies based on a predefined PICO framework in a two-stage process. Quality assessment was conducted using the Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines.ResultsAnalysis of 22 studies identified 25 patient-reported outcomes, measured by 30 unique scales, clustered into three categories: 'symptoms & complaints-based patient-reported outcomes', 'psycho-emotional patient-reported outcomes', and 'functional patient-reported outcomes'. Ten influencing factors emerged from two studies. Nursing care/interventions compromised four clusters: nurse-delivered group programme (n = 8), one-to-one nursing therapy or interaction (n = 8), group and individual nursing sessions (n = 1) and interpersonal relationship (n = 5).ConclusionPatient-reported outcomes serve as robust validators for advancing psychiatric and/or mental health nursing within hospital settings. Findings emphasise the importance of well-conceptualised nurse-sensitive patient outcomes using valid and reliable scales to recognise the full psychotherapeutic potential of mental health nursing.