Psychiatric patients' perception of physical restraint
Abstract
Objective: To investigate psychiatric patients' subjective perception during and after belt fixation. Method: All patients who were involuntarily admitted and physically restrained at a psychiatric intensive care unit within an 18‐month study period were analysed. Ratings were obtained at four visits when questioning was possible. Results: Within a heterogeneous diagnostic sample of 47 patients, only 12 patients were eligible to participate during belt fixation. After cessation of fixation, eight patients lacked any memory of restraint, while 36 could be questioned. Visual analogue scale median scores indicated powerlessness and depressiveness rather than anxiety and aggression. Patients' acceptance of the coercive measure was significantly higher (P = 0.003), while patients' memory was significantly lower than expected (P < 0.001). About 50% of the patients documented high perceived coercion, and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could be supposed in a quarter of the restrained individuals. Subjective perceptions concerning fixation showed no significant changes over time. Results showed high interindividual variability. Conclusion: Visual analogue scale revealed that belt fixation seemed to be forgotten or accepted in the majority of patients, probably due to psychiatric intensive care, psychopharmacological treatment and clinical improvements. The responses of a quarter of the patients assessed before discharge may be in accordance with symptoms of PTSD.
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Patients who experienced coercive measures such as physical restraint, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and seclusion were more likely to perceive coercion.
“Patients who experienced coercive measures such as physical restraint [111,124,127], mechanical restraint [150], chemical restraint [124], and seclusion [58,124] were more likely to perceive coercion.”
From Factors Associated with Perceived Coercion in Adults Receiving Psychiatric Care: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [111]
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“VAS are a suitable tool in social and behavioural research to measure subjective phenomena (31).”
MethodTwo scales for measuring patients’ perceptions for coercion during mental hospital admission
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“Perceived coercion seems to decrease significantly over time (28); furthermore, healthcare professionals appear to have an important impact on patients’ perception of coercion (29).”
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Effects of Seclusion and Restraint in Adult Psychiatry: A Systematic Review
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Factors Associated with Perceived Coercion in Adults Receiving Psychiatric Care: A Scoping Review
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Psychiatric admission as a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder
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- Authors
- Fugger, G., Gleiss, A., Baldinger, P., Strnad, A., Kasper, S., & Frey, R.
- Affiliations
- Medical University of Vienna (AT)
- Corresponding author
- Frey, R.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-10-16
- Volume
- 133
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 221-231
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W1907035259
- Cited by
- 48
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 4.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eli Lilly and Company
- AstraZeneca
- AOP Orphan
- Cilag
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Restraint-Related Deaths
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Electroconvulsive Therapy Studies
- Keywords
- physical restraint, psychiatric patients, patient perspectives, perceived coercion, post-traumatic stress disorder, involuntary admission, psychiatric intensive care, powerlessness
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aggression, Anxiety, Mental Disorders, Coercion, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Perception, Prospective Studies, Restraint, Physical, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
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