Use of seclusion with children and adolescents in public psychiatric hospitals

A review of seclusion orders issued over a one-month period at three public psychiatric centers found that youngsters who had been secluded, notably those with high use of seclusion, differed from other children at the centers. Seclusion was frequently resorted to by direct-care staff at times of high staff-child interaction but low programming. Findings suggest the need for clinicians to use treatment goals and interventions as means of altering seclusion patterns and minimizing duration of seclusion.