Use of Coercive Physical Measures in a Psychiatric Ward of a General Hospital in Greece
Abstract
Background: Coercive physical measures are commonly used in psychiatric units throughout the world for the management of severe behaviourally disturbed patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the rates of coercive physical measures (seclusion and restraint) used in psychiatric inpatients in the psychiatric unit of a general hospital in Greece. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all admissions to the psychiatric unit of the University General Hospital of loannina during a six-month period was conducted. Differences between patients who were subjected to coercion and patients who did not receive any coercive treatment were statistically analyzed and compared. Results: Of the total of 282 admissions during the study period, 31 (11.0%) cases had been subjected to some form of coercive physical measures: 9.55% and 1.76% were affected by seclusion and mechanical restraint, respectively (one patient had been subjected to both). The mean duration of any one seclusion and mechanical restraint was 64.9 hours and the mean number of seclusion and restraint per affected case was 3.58. Statistical analysis between the group subjected to coercive measures and the group who was not did not reveal any association with demographic data or diagnosis. Coercive measures were found to be associated only with the type of admission at intake. Conclusions: Involuntary admissions were associated with statistically significant higher levels of restraint and seclusion in this patient sample. Strategies that will enhance patients’ follow-up are expected to prevent involuntary admissions and reduce the use of coercive measures.
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Once a person was admitted as an involuntary patient they were more likely to be subject to use of coercive treatment modalities such as restraint and seclusion than people admitted on a voluntary basis.
“A similar cycle of coercive care provision may also be evident during admission, with the available literature indicating that once a person was admitted as an involuntary patient they were more likely to be subject to use of coercive treatment modalities such as restraint and seclusion than people admitted on a voluntary basis (34,76–88), and may be more likely to display aggressive behaviours (”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [78]
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- Authors
- Bilanakis, N., Kalampokis, G., Christou, K., & Peritogiannis, V.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychiatry, General Hospital of Arta, Greece
- University Hospital of Ioannina (GR)
- Corresponding author
- Peritogiannis, Vaios
- Venue
- International Journal of Social Psychiatry
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-07-23
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 402-411
- ISSN
- 0020-7640 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-2854
- OpenAlex
- W2092636732
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Social Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Electroconvulsive Therapy Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
- Keywords
- seclusion, mechanical restraint, psychiatric inpatients, involuntary admission, Greece
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Mental Disorders, Coercion, Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders, Commitment of Mentally Ill, Female, Greece, Hospitals, General, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Isolation, Psychiatric Department, Hospital, Restraint, Physical, Statistics as Topic, Utilization Review, Young Adult
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