Close to 3,000 cases of physical restraint

Seclusion and physical and mechanical restraint using chairs and bandages were used 5,370 times on patients in psychiatric units during 2010, according to the State’s mental health watchdog.

Of the three restrictive interventions reported to the Mental Health Commission (MHC), physical restraint was used most frequently.

During 2010, there were 2,985 physical restraint episodes and 2,371 seclusion episodes. Mechanical restraint was used 14 times.