Background Seclusion and restraint are widely used for people with serious mental disorders. In most countries one intervention is preferred while the other is considered as inhuman or not sufficiently safe, but identical arguments refer to different preferences. There is a lack of evidence from welldesigned studies on compulsory measures in psychiatry. In a Cochrane Review on seclusion and res...

We welcome the review by Gaskin et al 1 of interventions to reduce use of seclusion. Although studies reviewed were conducted in adult and child settings, the authors did not differentiate the developmental needs between these patient populations. The determinants of emotional distress and aggression may differ between children and adults. In adult psychiatric units, aggression is frequently as...

Restraint and seclusion has been used to manage patients despite all controversies. Our study analyzed the opinions of different psychiatrists on the use of this method in their clinical practice. Most of them (80%) practice restraints as a treatment modality and believe that they are integral to the management of psychiatric patients. None is using seclusion.

OBJECTIVES To examine the impact of restructuring a child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit on reportable incidents (including verbal or physical aggression), seclusion, security, constant observation, sick leave and lengths of stay. METHODS Data was collected regarding a seven-bed child and adolescent psychiatric unit between 2008 and 2010, comparing data from 2008 and 2009 (before) t...

This parameter reviews the current state of the prevention and management of child and adolescent aggressive behavior in psychiatric institutions, with particular reference to the indications and use of seclusion and restraint. It also presents guidelines that have been developed in response to professional, regulatory, and public concern about the use of restrictive interventions with aggressi...

BACKGROUND Seclusion and restraint are interventions currently permitted for use in mental health services to control or manage a person's behaviour. In Australia, serious concerns about the use of such seclusion and restraint have been raised at least since 1993. Consumers and their supporters have also expressed strong views about the harm of these practices. This paper presents the results o...

AIMS The aim of this study was to compare across different service configurations the acceptability of containment methods to acute ward staff and the speed of initiation of manual restraint. BACKGROUND One of the primary remits of acute inpatient psychiatric care is the reduction in risks. Where risks are higher than normal, patients can be transferred to a psychiatric intensive care unit or...