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Psychiatric patients' perception of physical restraint
Author(s) -
Fugger G.,
Gleiss A.,
Baldinger P.,
Strnad A.,
Kasper S.,
Frey R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/acps.12501
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychiatry , fixation (population genetics) , visual analogue scale , aggression , medicine , psychology , clinical psychology , physical therapy , population , environmental health
Objective To investigate psychiatric patients' subjective perception during and after belt fixation. Method All patients who were involuntarily admitted and physically restrained at a psychiatric intensive care unit within an 18‐month study period were analysed. Ratings were obtained at four visits when questioning was possible. Results Within a heterogeneous diagnostic sample of 47 patients, only 12 patients were eligible to participate during belt fixation. After cessation of fixation, eight patients lacked any memory of restraint, while 36 could be questioned. Visual analogue scale median scores indicated powerlessness and depressiveness rather than anxiety and aggression. Patients' acceptance of the coercive measure was significantly higher ( P = 0.003), while patients' memory was significantly lower than expected ( P < 0.001). About 50% of the patients documented high perceived coercion, and post‐traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) could be supposed in a quarter of the restrained individuals. Subjective perceptions concerning fixation showed no significant changes over time. Results showed high interindividual variability. Conclusion Visual analogue scale revealed that belt fixation seemed to be forgotten or accepted in the majority of patients, probably due to psychiatric intensive care, psychopharmacological treatment and clinical improvements. The responses of a quarter of the patients assessed before discharge may be in accordance with symptoms of PTSD .