De-escalation techniques used, and reasons for seclusion and restraint, in a forensic psychiatric hospital.

In Finland, the Mental Health Act determines the legal basis for seclusion and restraint. Restrictive measures are implemented to manage challenging situations and should be used as a last resort in psychiatric inpatient care. In the present study, we examined the reasons for seclusion and restraint, as well as whether any de-escalation techniques were used to help patients calm down.

Seasonal variation of hospital violence, seclusion and restraint in a forensic psychiatric hospital.

Several epidemiological studies have reported seasonal patterns in both violent and self-destructive behaviour. However, a few studies on hospital violence have found contradictory results. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was any seasonal variation of violence in a forensic psychiatric hospital providing care for persons suffering from psychotic disorders and violent or self-destructive behaviour.

Cluster-randomized controlled trial of reducing seclusion and restraint in secured care of men with schizophrenia.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial studied whether seclusion and restraint could be prevented in the psychiatric care of persons with schizophrenia without an increase of violence.

Methods: Over the course of a year, 13 wards of a secured national psychiatric hospital in Finland received information about seclusion and restraint prevention. Four high-security wards (N=88 beds) for men with psychotic illness were then stratified by coercion rates and randomly assigned to two equal groups.