Learning Objective #1: 1. The learner will be able to understand guided imagery is as tool for autonomous nursing intervention in psychiatric settings.

Learning Objective #2: 2. The learner will be able to understand the effect of guided imagery on comfort of psychiatric inpatients with depressive disorders.

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Study objective: To measure the effectiveness of guided imagery for increasing comfort in psychiatric inpatients with depressive disorders. Background: The conceptual framework is derived from Kolcaba's theory. Comfort is defined as the state of having met basic human needs for ease, relief, and transcendence experienced in the physical, psycho-spiritual, sociocultural and environmental contexts. Previous studies revealed that guided imagery is an effective intervention used by nurses to enhance patients comfort as to decreasing depressive symptoms. Methods: Quasi-Experimental design. Setting: 3 hospitals (Centre of Portugal). Sample: 60 short-term hospitalized depressive patients selected by consecutive sampling (experimental group: 30, control group: 30). Mean age 40, 38, ranged 19-53 years; 66, 67% female and 33, 33% male. The experimental group was to listen to a guided imagery CD once a day during 10 days. The Psychiatric Inpatients Comfort Scale (PICS) was self-administered at two time points: prior to the introduction of intervention (T1) and 10 days later, at the end of the intervention (T2). Comfort was assessed in the control group by the same method, but without guided imagery intervention. In T1, groups were equivalent in relation to socio demographic and clinical variables as to in measured comfort. PICS is a reliable tool. Both, in T1 and T2 alphas sub-scales and total scale ranged from 0, 72 to 0, and 93. Previous studies indicated PICS construct and criterion validity. Variables: Guided imagery program and comfort. Findings: Repeated measures revealed that the treatment group had significantly higher comfort over time on the total PICS (F: 4, 42; p: 0, 04), as to on the states and contexts. Exception made on ease (F: 0, 19; p: 0, 66) and on environmental context (F: 0, 00; p: 1, 00). Conclusions/implications: Guided imagery as an autonomous nursing intervention is effective for enhancing comfort of depressive psychiatric impatiens.