[End of a psychiatric era? : Impact on the use of mechanical restraints after prohibition of psychiatric cage beds in a regional psychiatric department in Vienna, Austria].

Background: Since June 1st, 2014 the use of cage beds, a physical coercive measure in psychiatric wards, is forbidden by Austrian law. The 3rd Psychiatric Department at the Otto Wagner Hospital in Vienna carried out a pilot-study prior to the application of this law and compared 6 months with and 6 months without the use of cage beds in psychiatric acute treatment. The investigation focused on the use of mechanical restraints, especially of 4-point-restraints at admission time.