Use of Restrictive Interventions Among Youths With Serious Emotional Disturbances Treated in State Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals

The use of restrictive interventions in inpatient psychiatric hospitals has received increased attention and scrutiny as it may be dangerous, traumatic, and fatal. Studies have demonstrated that the use of restrictive measures can have adverse physical and psychological effects on patients, as well as staff. Regarding children and adolescents, certain demographic variables such as age, sex, and length of stay are related to the rate of use of restrictive interventions. 

In this study, NRI’s Senior Director of Performance & Quality Improvement, Glorimar Ortiz, PhD, MS and Research Analyst, Emma White, BA explore the number of restrictive interventions used among youths with serious emotional disturbances (SED) served in state inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and identifies the significant demographic and clinical factors related to the use of restrictive interventions among youths with SED. The research was presented during the 2022 AACAP/CACAP Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. Read more.