Women's experiences of restrictive interventions within inpatient mental health services: A qualitative investigation

Restrictive interventions (RI), such as physical restraint, seclusion, and rapid tranquilization, can have negative psychological effects on service users; however, there has been little investigation regarding their effects on women. The aim of this paper was to explore women's experiences of RI within UK inpatient mental health services. Twenty women accessing inpatient mental health services participated in semi-structured interviews. Using thematic analysis (TA), three primary themes were reported from women's experiences: (1) powerlessness, (2) dehumanization, and (3) relationships and communication. Clinical recommendations included ensuring gender-awareness and trauma-informed care training is mandatory for all mental health staff, for RI training to include awareness of gender differences, and for policies to be reviewed with regard to women being invasively searched and ensuring sanitary products are safely available for women within seclusion. Directions for future research include investigating the experiences of RI for women from minority ethnic groups and exploring important moderators and mediators in the relationship between RI and re-traumatization for women.