PATIENT PERSPECTIVES ON RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION EXPERIENCES - A SURVEY OF FORMER PATIENTS OF NEW-YORK-STATE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES

The study reports the responses of 1,040 individuals to a mail survey related to their treatment and care while in psychiatric facilities in New York State, Approximately half of the respondents reported being subjected to restraint or seclusion during their hospital stays, and 9 4% of these individuals reported at least one complaint about the appr opriateness of the use of restraint and seclusion and/or their care or monitoring during the restraint or seclusion episode, Use of restrain ts and seclusion also tend ed to be associated with more negative pati ent assessments of their overall hospital stay, Responses by former pa tients also provided strong affirmation of the importance patients att ach to sincere staff attempts at less restrictive interventions prior to restraint and seclusion use.