Restraints Practices on Patients of the Psychiatric Wards in a Selected Hospital, Mangalore

Abstract Background  Restraints are one of the common procedures performed in various medical settings, especially intensive care units, and psychiatric wards. There are various forms of restraints, including chemical, physical, and mixed restraints. The primary reasons for using restraints are to prevent injury to the patient and others, and to reduce violent behavior in psychotic patients. Objectives  The aim of this article was to identify the types of restraints used for psychiatric patients and current restraint practices for patients in psychiatric wards of selected mental health facilities. Methods  This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 100 psychiatric patients selected using purposive sampling techniques. An observational checklist was used to assess restraint practice in patients who met study criteria. Results  The majority of patients (44%) received chemical restraints, some (28%) received physical restraints, but a minority (28%) used mixed restraints. In terms of practice, most patients (91%) received reasonably safe restraint care. An association was found between practice of restraints and restraints type with a p -value (0.001) less than 0.05 at a significance level of 0.05. Conclusions  The development of mandatory practice protocols is critical for better nursing care.