ABSTRACT
Seclusion and restraint of psychiatric patients has been the subject of debate and controversy for over a century since Pinel first advocated the humane treatment of psychiatric patients (Pinel, 1862). In recent years, because of the perception on the part of some that seclusion and restraint may restrict the rights of patients, legal statutes have stipulated the constraints on their use ( American Psychiatric Association, 1984). Several reports on the prevalence and impact of the use of seclusion and physical restraints in adult settings (Mattson & Sacks, 1978; Phillips & Nasar, 1983; Soloff & Turner, 1981) have indicated that seclusion is used primarily to reduce danger to others or to self in patients who are severely aggressive or suicidal, or patients who are quite agitated (Gutheil, 1978; Plutchik et al., 1978).
