Seclusion In Psychiatry : Nurses’ and Patients’ Point of View

Introduction : Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a person alone in a room or an area where the person is physically prevented from leaving. Seclusion continues to be prescribed in the care of psychiatric patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorders or major depression with suicide ideas. Discussion : The use of seclusion needs to be examined in the care of mentally ill people. Clinical advances have played a significant role in the emerging best practices. Clinicians insists on the use of seclusion with a strict protocol that provided parameters for its use. Conclusion : Seclusion in psychiatry is controversial. Critics argue that it is draconian and infringes the patient’s human rights whilst supporters assert that it is a last resort measure used to manage the risk posed to others. Seclusion may only be used for the management of violent or self destructive behavior. While expert therapeutic interventions were described by clinicians, they are contextualized within a framework of power and control a framework that stands in stark contrast to contemporary philosophies of nursing care, providing impetus for a reconsideration of the use of constraining practices in the care of mentally ill people. Key-words: Seclusion Restraint Indications Contraindications Patients’point of view Nurses’point