REASONS OF RESTRAINT IN THE PSYCHIATRIC-H OSPITAL

Kinds of restrictive treatment like seclusion and restraint are even i n today's psychiatric inpatient care seen as not renouncable. However, there has been very little research on this subject in Germany. In th is article, events of seclusion and restraint were investigated at the psychiatric hospital of Ravensburg-Weissenau for a period of 18 weeks . There were 120 cases of seclusion and 17 cases of restraint for acut e reasons; in 29 cases there was a permanent medical advice for such t reatment. In 64 % restrictive treatment was justified by the patient's behaviour as being dangerous to others; in 19 % the behaviour was ''d isturbing'' in another sense without being explicitly dangerous. The l atter reason occurred only by night-time. 7.95 % of all patients treat ed at a fixed day were concerned of such compulsory treatment within t he period of investigation. The concerned patients were more frequentl y involuntary treated, in other aspects