Staff Perspectives: Why are adolescent inpatients secluded and what causes changes in rates of seclusion on a unit?

The use of seclusion in Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Units is being heavily scrutinised due to its forceful nature and potential to cause harm. This study aimed to understand staff perspectives on reasons for seclusion in an Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Unit.

A mixed methods approach that included the Attitudes to Seclusion Survey followed by a semi-structured interview on the reasons for seclusion was used. We recruited 31 participants who worked on the unit of which 27 were involved in seclusion.

The findings showed that the majority of staff view seclusion as undesirable and believe it should only be used out of necessity. However, there was disagreement among staff about the reasons why adolescents were secluded and whether those reasons were justified. Staff identified factors that contributed to increases in seclusion but also provided several ways in which seclusion could be reduced.

These findings highlight a need for precision on what constitutes justifiable use of seclusion to reduce the potential for misuse. It also shows opportunities exist for further reduction in seclusion through teamwork and communication.