Physical Restraints in People With Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review

Physical restraints (PR) are commonly used in people with intellectual disability (ID). Their use is often associated with negative psychological and health outcomes, but their benefits are unclear. We aimed to provide a systematic and comprehensive overview of the available body of evidence on this topic. This scoping review includes studies on PR use in people with ID in the community and residential settings. Forty-two studies were included in the final analysis; 37 quantitative studies (23 noninterventional and 14 interventional) and 5 qualitative studies, mainly from the United Kingdom and United States. The definitions of PR varied. The studies investigated prevalences, factors associated with PR use, interventions for reducing PR use or behavior that challenges, and experiences with PR use. None of the studies used a participatory design. To improve the comparability of the available evidence, a consensus definition of PR and associated concepts in people with ID is needed. There should also be more emphasis on involving people with ID in health research.