Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

NG10/5

Question

Long duration or very frequent manual restraint:- In what circumstances and how often are long-duration or repeated manual restraint used, and what alternatives are there that are safer and more effective?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important:- Adults who are agitated and violent sometimes continue to struggle and fight during manual restraint and rapid tranquillisation may fail. This results in long periods of restraint and further doses of medication. These occurrences are used as justifications for seclusion and, very rarely, for the use of mechanical restraint if repeat episodes occur. Yet there is no information about the frequency of such events or the demography and symptomatology of the adults who are subject to such measures. Exploratory survey work should be commissioned as a matter of urgency to assess the scope of this problem and potential measures for prevention or alternative management that minimise excessive, severe and risky containment methods.
The reasons why children and young people with mental health problems need long-duration or very frequent manual restraint may be expected to vary from those in adults but have similarly been little investigated. Exploratory survey work should therefore specifically address the scope of this problem as it affects children and young people and assess potential measures for prevention or alternative management that minimise any existing excessive, severe or risky containment methods.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health and community settings

Number

NG10

Date issued

May 2015

Other details