Patients’ views about seclusion

Abstract

So far in this book the authors have focused on the academic study of seclusion practice and the professional issues pertaining to its use. However, it is our opinion that any study of seclusion is void unless patients’ perception and experience are taken into account. For many reasons, some which have been discussed in previous chapters, the views of patients are very often ignored, minimized or marginalized by professionals in the field of mental health. Indeed, in a literature search carried out by the authors, only 12 articles were discovered which seriously addressed the issue of patients’ feelings within seclusion. Shields (1985) argues that this failure to appreciate patients’ views is ‘a prominent feature of the reduced social status of being a psychiatric patient’, and this is highly likely to be the main reason why patients’ views are not sought. Goffman (1963) described stigmas as being attributes which discredit and devalue the individual, and Teasdale (1987) points out that the stigma of being labelled ‘mentally ill’ is ‘deeply ingrained’ in western society. Also it has been noted that nurses are resistant to patient feedback (Shields, Morrison and Hart, 1988) and perceive patient involvement as criticism, finding this threatening both professionally and personally.