Seclusion experienced by mental health professionals

Area of Science:

• Psychiatric Nursing
• Mental Health Care
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Seclusion in psychiatric inpatient care involves isolating service users in locked rooms, often with differing views between users and staff on its utility.
• Service user experiences of seclusion are predominantly negative, highlighting a need to evaluate practices from their perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experience of voluntary psychiatric seclusion from the perspective of mental health nurses.
• To evaluate the impact of seclusion in detail and stimulate discussion on this controversial mental health nursing practice.

Main Methods:

• A small-scale experiment involving two mental health nurses voluntarily undergoing 24-hour seclusion.
• Nurses received standard seclusion treatment and documented their experiences every six hours.

Main Results:

• Voluntary, planned seclusion increased anxiety and frustration for the participating nurses.
• The seclusion environment was perceived as inhumane, leading to negative overall experiences.
• Nurses provided practical recommendations for improving seclusion practices and facilities.

Conclusions:

• Firsthand experiences suggest that seclusion, even when voluntary, can negatively impact individuals.
• The physical environment of seclusion rooms requires significant improvement to be more humane.
• Mental health nurses are pivotal in driving improvements in seclusion policies and implementation.