STAT (1/24, Thielking) reported, “Sometimes, in especially intense moments in the emergency” department, “a staffer might have to take the drastic step of physically restraining a patient who is in mental health crisis.” ED “staffers themselves have described it as an exceedingly difficult process, rife with the tension between providing good care and feeling physically threatened.” But, “how does a patient feel during the experience, and how does that affect a person’s care and recovery?”
MD Magazine (1/24, Rosenfeld) reported, “Patients with behavioral disorders who were physically restrained in the emergency department reported distrust in the healthcare system and psychological distress,” researchers concluded after interviewing “25 adults who were physically restrained during” a visit to the ED. The study team “found three major themes from the interviews: harmful experiences of restraint use and care provision; diverse and complex personal contexts affecting visits to the emergency department; and challenges in resolving their experiences which resulted in worsened well-being.” The findings were published online in JAMA Network Open.
Related Links:
— “‘Traumatic as hell’: Patients describe what it’s like to be restrained in the ER, “Megan Thielking, STAT, January 24, 2020