Reliability and validity of the training satisfaction questionnaire for family members (TSQ-FM) entering the ICU during an isolation disease outbreak.

BACKGROUND: The presence of family members in an isolated ICU during an isolation disease outbreak is restricted by hospital policies because of the infectious risk. This can be overcome by conferring to family members the skill and the ability to safely don and doff the personal protective equipment (PPE) through a nurse-led training intervention and assess their satisfaction, to respond to the need to define a safe, effective and quality care pathway focused on Family-Centered Care (FCC) principles. OBJECTIVE: the study aimed to build a valid and reliable instrument for clinical practice to assess family members' satisfaction to allow ICU nurses to restore family integrity in any case of infectious disease outbreak that requires isolation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to test the psychometric properties. The questionnaire was constructed based on a literature review on the needs of family members in the ICU. 76 family members were admitted to a COVID-ICU. Cronbach's coefficient, Geomin rotated loading, and EFA were applied to assess the reliability and validity of the instrument. RESULTS: The Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin (KMO) measure was 0.662, the Bartlett sphericity test showed a significant p-value (χ²=448.33; df=45; p < 0.01), Cronbach's alpha coefficient was.896. A further CFA analysis confirmed that all fit indices were acceptable. The results showed satisfactory validity and reliability, which could be generalized and extended to any outbreak of isolation disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a valid and reliable instrument for clinical practice to maintain family integrity in the dyadic relationship between the patient and the family member, even during an emergency infectious disease outbreak that requires isolation.

Prevalence and variability of restrictive care practice use (physical restraint, seclusion and chemical restraint) in adult mental health inpatient settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing consensus to reduce the use of restrictive care practices in mental health settings to minimise the physical and psychological complications for patients. However, data regarding restrictive care practice use and factors contributing to variations in the proportion estimates has not previously been synthesised. AIMS: This study aimed to synthesise evidence on (1) the pooled proportions of physical restraint, seclusion or chemical restraint in adult mental health inpatients and (2) sources of variability in these proportion estimates. METHODS: Studies were identified from Scopus, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase and CINAHL databases following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies published in English language from 1 January 2010 to 15 August 2022. Binomial data were pooled using a random effect model, with 95% confidence intervals. Meta-regression was also computed to identify factors that may contribute to variations in the proportion estimates. RESULTS: A total of 77 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of physical restraint, seclusion and chemical restraint was 14.4%, 15.8% and 25.7%, respectively. Data were heterogeneous across studies (I2 > 99%). Reporting practices and geographical locations contributed to the variability in the reported estimates of restrictive care practices, with studies from Asian countries reporting higher proportions. CONCLUSION: There appear differences between geographical locations in the proportion of restrictive practices in mental health inpatients; however, this is complicated by how these prevalence data have been measured and defined. Consistency in the reporting of restrictive care practices in mental health is required to make valid comparisons between geographical regions, policy settings and practice innovations. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Efforts are needed to develop training programmes and policy changes to ensure consistency in defining and reporting of restrictive care practices in mental health facilities. PATIENT/PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This is a systematic review that analysed data from previously published studies, and there was no patient/public contribution in this study. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The protocol for this review has been registered to PROSPERO: CRD42022335167.

Protocols to reduce seclusion in inpatient mental health units.

The use of seclusion to manage conflict behaviours in psychiatric inpatient settings is increasingly viewed as an intervention of last resort. Many protocols have, thus, been developed to reduce the practice. We conducted a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of protocols to reduce seclusion on process outcomes (e.g., seclusion, restraint), patient outcomes (e.g., injuries, aggressive incidents, satisfaction), and staff outcomes (e.g., injuries, satisfaction). We searched Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials, PsycINFO, CINAHL, cairn.info, and ClinicalTrials.gov for protocols to reduce seclusion practices for adult patients on inpatient mental health units (from inception to September 6, 2022). We summarised and categorised reported elements of the protocols designed to reduce seclusion using the Behaviour Change Wheel Intervention Functions and resources needed to implement the protocol in psychiatric units. We assessed risk of bias and determined certainty of evidence using GRADE. Forty-eight reports addressed five approaches to reduce seclusion: hospital/unit restructuring (N = 4), staff education/training (N = 3), sensory modulation rooms (N = 7), risk assessment and management protocols (N = 7), and comprehensive/mixed interventions (N = 22; N = 6 without empirical data). The relationship between the various protocols and outcomes was mixed. Psychiatric units that implement architecturally positive designs, sensory rooms, the Brøset Violence Checklist, and various multi-component comprehensive interventions may reduce seclusion events, though our certainty in these findings is low due to studies' methodological limitations. Future research and practice may benefit from standardised reporting of process and outcome measures and analyses that account for confounders.

[Restraint during care: The legal aspects]. / La contention lors des soins : les aspects juridiques.

Restraint in care must be a practice of last resort. To date, it is only regulated in the texts for psychiatric care without consent and only in full hospitalization. Healthcare teams can only use it with great caution, in a manner strictly proportionate to the situation and, if they act outside the legal framework, by taking good professional practices as a reference.

Effect of Seclusion on Mental Health Status in Hospitalized Psychiatric Populations: A Trial Emulation using Observational Data.

The use of coercive practices, i.e., interventions against a person's will, is controversial. Recent observational studies highlighted their potential detrimental effects on patients' mental health, but this topic remains understudied. This study investigated the effect of a common coercive practice, seclusion (i.e., being locked in a closed room), on mental health using a trial emulation of observational data to allow causal inference. We used data from 1200 psychiatric inpatients, classified as being either secluded or non-secluded during their hospital stay. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to emulate the random assignment to the intervention. The primary outcome was the Health of the Nations Outcome Scales (HoNOS). The secondary outcome was the first item of the HoNOS, which focuses on overactive, aggressive, disruptive, or agitated behavior. Both outcomes were assessed at hospital discharge. There was a significant effect of seclusion with increases in both total HoNOS score (p = .002) and item 1 of the HoNOS (p = .01). Seclusion may have a negative causal effect of patients' mental health status and should therefore be avoided in mental health care settings. Training efforts should raise the awareness of the medical staff about potential adverse effects instead of therapeutic benefits.

The existential dimension of the experience of seclusion: a qualitative study among former psychiatric inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Seclusion is a coercive measure - temporary confinement in an almost empty, non-stimulating room in a closed psychiatric admission ward to prevent (further) urgent danger due to a mental disorder. Although there is observational research about patients' behaviors during separation (e.g. hitting walls or doors, sleeping, or praying), research into the subjective and existential dimension of the experience of seclusion in psychiatry is rare. AIM: Aim of the current study is to describe and analyze - using the theoretical lenses of Yalom (1980) and Jaspers (1919) - how clients experience their involuntary stay in a seclusion room in a closed psychiatric clinic in existential terms. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out among former clients (N = 10) who were asked, in retrospect, about their existential concerns in the seclusion room. In the thematic analysis, the main, deductive codes were theory based (Yalom, Jaspers), composed of subcodes that were inductively derived from the interviews. RESULTS: The respondents affirmed the ultimate existential concerns about death (e.g. sensing to be dead already), lack of freedom (e.g. loss of agency), isolation (e.g. interpersonal, not able to speak, feeling an object) and meaninglessness. With respect to the latter, the respondents reported a rich variety of spiritual experiences (both negative, such as knowing to be in hell, as positive, hearing/imagining a comforting voice or noticing/imagining a scenery of nature in the room). DISCUSSION: Although some experiences and behaviors may conflate with symptoms of psychosis, the participants generally expressed a relief about the ability to talk about their experiences. Sharing and discussing the existential experiences fits into the paradigm of psychiatric recovery and personalized care. Their intensity was obvious and might have warranted additional support by a chaplain or spiritual counselor in mental health care settings.

"It's possible", reducing the coercion in care for adults living with neurodevelopmental disorders: A mixed-methods study / « C'est possible ¼, réduire la coercition dans les soins pour les personnes adultes vivant avec des troubles neurodéveloppementaux : une étude à devis mixte

INTRODUCTION: Adults living with a neurodevelopmental disorder may present episodes of aggression, which may lead to the use of seclusion or restraint. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of an intervention aimed at reducing the use of coercive measures in a long-term care unit for adults suffering from a neurodevelopmental disorder with or without psychiatric co-morbidities. METHOD: The single-center study used a sequential mixed-methods explanatory design. Retrospective data on periods of seclusion, with and without physical restraint, were collected for the ten-month pre-intervention and post-intervention periods. A qualitative survey was conducted at the end of the intervention period among the health professionals working in the unit to review the implementation and the efficiency of the approach. RESULTS: A significant decrease was observed between the pre- and post-intervention period in the number of seclusion and restraint sequences, the number of patients experiencing seclusion and restraint, and the duration of seclusion and restraint sequences. The efficiency of the approach was confirmed by the health care professionals and was attributed to leadership focused on limiting coercive measures, better adherence to legal obligations, team cohesion, and the implementation of alternative tools and methods. DISCUSSION: Reducing the use of coercive measures with adults with neurodevelopmental disorders is possible. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of alternative strategies to seclusion and restraint.

Introduction: Les personnes adultes vivant avec un trouble neurodéveloppemental peuvent présenter des épisodes d'agressivité, susceptibles d'entrainer le recours à l'isolement à la contention. Le but de l'étude a été d'évaluer et d'explorer l'effet d'une démarche de moindre recours aux mesures coercitives dans une unité d'accueil au long cours de personnes adultes souffrant d'un trouble neurodéveloppemental, avec ou sans comorbidités psychiatriques. Méthode: L'étude monocentrique a utilisé un devis mixte séquentiel explicatif. Des données rétrospectives sur les données mensuelles agrégées des séquences d'isolement avec et sans contention ont été recueillies sur une période de 10 mois précédant l'intervention et une période de 10 mois postintervention. Une enquête qualitative a ensuite été réalisée auprès des professionnels de santé intervenant dans l'unité afin d'appréhender la mise en œuvre et l'efficience des interventions de moindre recours. Résultats: La comparaison des périodes pré- et postintervention met en évidence une diminution significative du nombre de séquences d'isolement et de contention, du nombre de patients exposés à une mesure d'isolement et de contention, et de la durée des séquences d'isolement et de contention. L'efficience de la démarche est confirmée par les soignants et expliquée par un leadership tourné vers la limitation des mesures coercitives, l'obligation légale, la cohésion d'équipe, et la mise en place d'outils et de méthodes alternatives. Discussion: La diminution de la coercition auprès des personnes adultes souffrant d'un trouble neurodéveloppemental est possible. D'autres études sont nécessaires pour confirmer l'efficience de stratégies alternatives à l'isolement et à la contention.

[Isolation and mechanical restraint in psychiatry]. / Isolement et contention mécanique en psychiatrie.

Since 2016, there has been a succession of legal texts aimed at framing the use of seclusion and mechanical restraint in psychiatric services. These legal evolutions are not without consequence on the practice of caregivers. We propose here a practical summary of this issue.

[Isolation and restraint in psychiatry: practice and feedback from professional experiences]. / Isolement et contention en psychiatrie : pratique et retours d'expériences professionnelles.

A psychiatric nurse since 2013, who became a clinical psychologist in 2022, I have had the opportunity, on numerous occasions, to use isolation and therapeutic restraint as part of my nursing practice, mainly in a closed psychiatric admissions service. These therapeutic tools, specific to psychiatry, are used in a very specific theoretical and legislative framework. Their use always leads to reflection, both individually and as a team. Indeed, their use must remain the last therapeutic bulwark to be used because it can be experienced with difficulty or even in a traumatic way by the patient, which can damage the relationship of trust with the carers. Thus, it is important that this practice be supervised and discussed with the patient and the team in order to be as appropriate as possible.

[Isolation and restraint in units for difficult patients and in psychiatric intensive care units]. / Isolement et contention en unités pour malades difficiles et en unités de soins intensifs psychiatriques.

The units for difficult patients (UMD) and the intensive psychiatric care units (Usip) are psychiatric services that are not successively sectorized, created to meet the needs of intensive care in a closed environment and sometimes of a forensic nature. These two systems are used to care for patients whose clinical condition often makes it too complex to maintain them in sector psychiatric units, and many of their operating rules differ. This is not the case for seclusion and restraint measures and the application of the law governing these measures.

[Soothing spaces and techniques in psychiatry]. / Espaces et techniques d'apaisement en psychiatrie.

The development of alternatives to seclusion and restraint is a priority for psychiatric care services. Among them, the implementation of soothing spaces is currently experiencing considerable growth.

The experiences of nurses following seclusion or restraint use and immediate staff debriefing in inpatient mental health settings.

AIM: The aim of this study is to explore nurses' experiences of seclusion or restraint use and their participation in immediate staff debriefing in inpatient mental health settings. DESIGN: This research was conducted using a descriptive exploratory design and data were gathered through in-depth individual interviews. METHODS: The experiences of nurses following seclusion or restraint use and their participation in immediate staff debriefing were explored via teleconference, using a semi-structured interview guide. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify prevalent themes from the data. RESULTS: Interviews (n=10) were conducted with nurses from inpatient mental health wards in July 2020. Five themes emerged through the data analysis: (i) ensuring personal safety; (ii) grappling between the use of least-restrictive interventions and seclusion or restraint use; (iii) navigating ethical issues and personal reactions; (iv) seeking validation from colleagues and (v) attending staff debriefing based on previous experience. The themes were also analysed using Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. CONCLUSION: Staff debriefing is a vital resource for nurses to provide and/or receive emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies. Mental health institutions should strive to establish supportive working environments and develop interventions based on the unique needs of nurses and the stressors they experience following seclusion or restraint use. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nurses in both frontline and leadership roles were involved in the development and pilot test of the interview guide. The nurses who participated in the study were asked if they can be recontacted if clarification is needed during interview transcription or data analysis.

[The care partnership pact in adult psychiatry]. / Le pacte du partenariat de soins en psychiatrie adulte.

Programs to reduce the use of coercive measures emphasize the importance of patient involvement in their care and the use of formalized tools. An adult psychiatric care admission unit offers a specific tool to the hospitalized patient: the "Preventive Emotion Management Questionnaire", as soon as the patient is admitted to the unit. Thus, in case of a crisis period, caregivers will know what the patient's wishes are, which will facilitate the implementation of a care partnership, guided by two nursing theories.

Prevalence and correlates of restrictive interventions in an Irish child and adolescent psychiatric unit: a 4-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: There has been a global effort to reduce the use of restrictive interventions (RIs) in healthcare settings. In order to reduce unnecessary RIs, it is essential to understand their use in mental health settings. To date, there have been few studies examining the use of RIs in child and adolescent mental health settings, with no such studies in Ireland. AIMS: The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and frequency of physical restraints and seclusion and to identify any associated demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS: This is a 4-year retrospective study of the use of seclusion and physical restraint in an Irish child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit from 2018 to 2021. Computer-based data collection sheets and patient records were retrospectively reviewed. Eating disorder and non-eating disorder samples were analysed. RESULTS: Of 499 hospital admissions from 2018 to 2021, 6% (n = 29) had at least one episode of seclusion and 18% (n = 88) had at least one episode of physical restraint. Age, gender and ethnicity were not significantly associated with rates of RI. Unemployment, prior hospitalization, involuntary legal status and longer length of stay were significantly associated with higher rates of RIs in the non-eating disorder group. Involuntary legal status was associated with higher rates of physical restraint in the eating disorder group. Patients with a diagnosis of eating disorder and psychosis had the highest prevalence of physical restraints and seclusions respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying youth who are at greater risk of requiring RIs may allow early and targeted intervention and prevention.

Staff perspectives on the effects of seclusion in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care.

Nurses are at the forefront of seclusion in adolescent psychiatric units. Understanding nurses and other staff perspectives on the effects of seclusion is critical in the ongoing effort to minimize and eliminate seclusion. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of staff attitudes, experiences, and beliefs about the effects of seclusion on both themselves and patients. Thirty-one staff members (including 20 nurses) completed the Attitudes to Seclusion Survey and 24 participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their beliefs and experiences of seclusion use in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care. Analysis of the questionnaire showed overwhelming agreement in the negative impacts of seclusion on patients, while there was uncertainty around the positive impacts of seclusion. Using a combination of the intuitive approach and thematic analysis, five themes were identified from interviews with staff, three unique to nurses: (i) staff were reluctant to use seclusion but felt it was necessary, (ii) nurses felt under-resourcing led to increased chances of seclusion, (iii) staff believed seclusion negatively impacted the patients, (iv) nurses felt their relationships with patients were negatively impacted, and (v) seclusion also had a negative effect on nurses. Clinical recommendations included a systematic and structured approach to debriefing to repair ruptures in the therapeutic relationship; staffing to be based on the acuity of the unit rather than occupancy; alternatives to seclusion that meet the needs of service providers and consumers. Future research should compare staff and patient perspectives, include multiple sites, and greater participation of non-nursing staff.

Best practice recommendations on the application of seclusion and restraint in mental health services: An evidence, human rights and consensus-based approach.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Seclusion and restraint still regularly occur within inpatient mental health services. The Council of Europe requires the development of a policy on for instance age limits, techniques and time limits. However, they only define the outer limits of such a policy by indicating when rights are violated. Within these limits, many choices remain open. Staff and service managers lack clarity on safe and humane procedures. Research literature provides limited and contradictory insights on these matters. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The study resulted in 77 best practice recommendations on the practical application of restraint and seclusion as last resort intervention in inpatient youth and adult mental health services, including forensic facilities. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which the development of recommendations on this topic is not only based on scientific evidence, but also on an analysis of European human rights standards and consensus within and between expert-professionals and experts-by-experience. This approach allowed to develop for the first time recommendations on time limits, asking for second opinion, and registration of seclusion and restraint. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The 77 recommendations encourage staff to focus on teamwork, safety measures, humane treatment, age and time limits, asking for second opinion, observation, evaluation and registration when applying seclusion and restraint as last resort intervention. The implementation of the best practice recommendations is feasible provided that they are combined with a broad preventive approach and with collaboration between service managers, staff (educators) and experts-by-experience. Under these conditions, the recommendations will improve safety and humane treatment, and reduce harm to both service users and staff. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Seclusion and restraint still regularly occur within inpatient mental health services. Professionals lack clarity on safe and humane procedures. Nevertheless, a detailed policy on for instance age limits, techniques and time limits is required. AIM: We developed recommendations on the humane and safe application of seclusion, physical intervention and mechanical restraint in inpatient youth and adult mental health services, including forensic facilities. METHOD: After developing a questionnaire based on a rapid scientific literature review and an analysis of human rights sources stemming from the Council of Europe, 60 expert-professionals and 18 experts-by-experience were consulted in Flanders (Belgium) through a Delphi-study. RESULTS: After two rounds, all but one statement reached the consensus-level of 65% in both panels. The study resulted in 77 recommendations on teamwork, communication, materials and techniques, maximum duration, observation, evaluation, registration, second opinion and age limits. DISCUSSION: Combining an evidence, human rights and consensus-based approach allowed for the first time to develop recommendations on time limits, asking for second opinion and registration. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: When combined with a preventive approach and collaboration between service managers, staff (educators) and experts-by-experience, the recommendations will improve safety and humane treatment, and reduce harm to service users and staff.

[The Impact of Treatment Volumes of Psychiatric Clinics on the Risk for Applying Seclusion or Restraint]. / Der Einfluss des Behandlungsvolumens psychiatrischer Kliniken auf das Risiko der Anwendung besonderer Sicherungsmaßnahmen.

AIM: To determine the effect of treatment volumes on the frequency and duration of special safety measures (SSM) such as seclusion or restraint. METHOD: Register Data of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Equal Opportunities is analysed for the number of cases hospitalised under State Mental Health Act, the proportion of cases experiencing SSM, and the frequency and cumulative duration of SSM per case. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The larger the treatment volume of cases that are hospitalised under State Mental Health Act, the smaller the proportion of cases experiencing SSM. This result is robust, even if statistical outliers are exempted from analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In light of indications that also in mental health care treatment volumes may be related to the desired treatment outcome, discussion is need about the tension between hospital care that is provide.

Seclusion, Restraint, Therapeutic Alliance, and Legal Admission Status: What Really Matters?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships, if any, between use of seclusion and restraint and factors such as demographic parameters, diagnosis, legal admission status (voluntary or involuntary), symptoms, cognitive function, global functioning, therapeutic alliance, attitudes toward medication, and insight, among psychiatry inpatients in Ireland. METHODS: We used validated tools to perform detailed assessments of 107 adult psychiatry inpatients admitted to acute psychiatry units at 2 general hospitals in Dublin, Ireland over a 30-month period, between September 2017 and February 2020. RESULTS: The most common diagnoses in our sample were affective disorders (46.7%), schizophrenia and related disorders (27.1%), and personality and behavioral disorders (11.2%). Over a quarter (n=29, 27.1%) of the participating patients had involuntary legal status. Of the 107 patients, 11 patients (10.3%) experienced sedation and/or physical restraint, with 9 patients (8.4%) experiencing at least 1 episode of seclusion and 10 patients (9.3%) experiencing at least 1 episode of physical restraint. On the basis of multivariable analyses, seclusion was associated with younger age and involuntary status, while physical restraint was associated with involuntary status. Each multivariable model explained just over one third of the variance in the distribution of these seclusion and restraint practices. CONCLUSIONS: Use of seclusion and restraint was most strongly associated with involuntary admission status and, in the case of seclusion, younger age, rather than sex, diagnosis, symptoms, cognitive function, global functioning, therapeutic alliance, attitudes toward medication, or insight. The network of interactions between involuntary status and use of seclusion and restraint merits much closer attention, especially as use of seclusion and physical restraint appears to be associated with involuntary legal status independent of level of symptoms, therapeutic alliance, or insight.

Safety hazards in patient seclusion events in psychiatric care: A video observation study.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Coercive measures such as seclusion are used to maintain the safety of patients and others in psychiatric care. The use of coercive measures can lead to harm among patients and staff. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This study is the first of its kind to rely on video observation to expose safety hazards in seclusion events that have not been reported previously in the literature. The actions that both patients and staff take during seclusion events can result in various safety hazards. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Constant monitoring of patients during seclusion is important for identifying safety hazards and intervening to prevent harm. Nursing staff who use seclusion need to be aware of how their actions can contribute to safety hazards and how they can minimize their potential for harm ABSTRACT: Introduction Seclusion is used to maintain safety in psychiatric care. There is still a lack of knowledge on potential safety hazards related to seclusion practices. Aim To identify safety hazards that might jeopardize the safety of patients and staff in seclusion events in psychiatric hospital care. Method A descriptive design with non-participant video observation was used. The data consisted of 36 video recordings, analysed with inductive thematic analysis. Results Safety hazards were related to patient and staff actions. Patient actions included aggressive behaviour, precarious movements, escaping, falling, contamination and preventing visibility. Staff actions included leaving hazardous items in a seclusion room, unsafe administration of medication, unsecured use of restraints and precarious movements and postures. Discussion This is the first observational study to identify safety hazards in seclusion, which may jeopardize the safety of patients and staff. These hazards were related to the actions of patients and staff. Implications for Practice Being better aware of possible safety hazards could help prevent adverse events during patient seclusion events. It is therefore necessary that nursing staff are aware of how their actions might impact their safety and the safety of the patients. Video observation is a useful method for identifying safety hazards. However, its use requires effort to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of those included in the videos.

Seclusion Reduction on an Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Unit: A Quality Improvement Project.

Seclusion practices have traditionally been used in psychiatry to maintain patient and staff safety. Despite negative emotional consequences for all involved parties and the movement toward patient-centered care, these practices continue in in-patient psychiatric units across the United States. The purpose of the current quality improvement project was to decrease the rate of seclusion events on an adult inpatient psychiatric unit through the implementation of a standard debriefing process based on the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors' Six Core Strategies for Reducing Seclusion and Restraint Use. In 2020, the seclusion rates at the project site were above state and national benchmarks. Post-intervention, the seclusion hours per 1,000 patient care hours increased by 16% (0.38 to 0.44); however, the mean duration of each seclusion episode decreased by 10% (158 minutes to 142 minutes). Intervention compliance was low, including interprofessional participation. These findings demonstrate the need to address seclusion practices with an evidence-based solution, such as debriefing, coupled with adequate support from interprofessional leadership. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(6), 27-32.].