Characteristics of adolescents frequently restrained in acute psychiatric units in Norway: a nationwide study.

Background: The use of restraints in adolescent psychiatric settings requires particular professional, ethical, and legal considerations. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the number of restraint episodes per patient was related to any of several characteristics of the adolescents.

Methods: In this nationwide study, we included all adolescents restrained during the period 2008-2010 (N = 267) in Norwegian adolescent acute psychiatric inpatient units.

A nationwide study of why and how acute adolescent psychiatric units use restraint.

The purpose of this study was to examine the type, reason, and duration of restraint episodes in acute adolescent psychiatric units. In a retrospective design we included data from paper-based protocols on all episodes of restraint and data from electronic patient records during 2008-2010 in all acute adolescent psychiatric in-patient units in Norway (N=16). The episodes of restraint included mechanical and pharmacological restraint, seclusion and physical holding that was not part of the implementation of forced feeding.

Characteristics of adolescents subjected to restraint in acute psychiatric units in Norway: a case-control study.

Objective: Use of restraint in psychiatric treatment is controversial. This study compared social, mental health, and treatment characteristics of restrained and nonrestrained adolescents in acute psychiatric inpatient units.

Methods: In a retrospective case-control design, we included all adolescents restrained during 2008-2010 (N=288) in all acute psychiatric inpatient units that accepted involuntarily admitted adolescents in Norway (N=16).