Sexual behavior of psychiatric inpatients: hospital responses and policy formulation

Historically, inpatient sexuality has been a neglected issue in hospital policy. Recent studies have confirmed sexual activity among individuals with mental illness and have noted several areas of concern surrounding patient care and sexuality. We surveyed private mental health facilities within the state of Ohio. Twenty-five percent of the responding hospitals had a formal sexual policy and the majority (72%) said that sexual behavior was an infrequent problem. Considering the short-term stays common at these facilities, policies at such institutions should focus on dealing with situations when they occur and properly training and informing staff on issues surrounding sexual activity in psychiatric inpatients.