Effectiveness of six core strategies based on trauma informed care in reducing seclusions and restraints at a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital

• Published in: Journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing 2017-11, Vol.30 (4), p.170-174
• Main Authors: Azeem, MuhammadWaqar, Aujla, Akashdeep, Rammerth, Michelle, Binsfeld, Gary, Jones, Robert B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Age Factors; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - therapy; Behavior Disorders; Behavior Problems; Child; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child psychology; children; Female; Females; Hospitals, Pediatric - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals, Psychiatric - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Males; Mental Disorders; Mental institutions; Mood Disorders - therapy; Nursing; Patient Isolation - methods; Patient Isolation - statistics & numerical data; Physical restraints; psychiatric hospital; Psychiatry; restraint; Restraint, Physical - methods; Restraint, Physical - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; seclusion; Sex Factors; Teenagers; Trauma; Trauma care; trauma informed care
• ISSN: 1073-6077; 1744-6171
• DOI: 10.1111/jcap.12190

Objective The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of six core strategies based on trauma informed care in reducing the use of seclusion and restraints with hospitalized youth. Methods The hospital staff received training inMarch 2005 in six core strategies that are based on trauma informed care. Medical records were reviewed for youth admitted between July 2004 andMarch 2007. Data were collected on demographics, including age, gender, ethnicity,number of admissions, type of admissions, length of stay, psychiatric diagnosis, number of seclusions, and restraints. Results Four hundred fifty‐eight youth (females 276/males 182) were admitted between July 2004 and March 2007. Seventy‐nine patients or 17.2% (females 44/males 35) required 278 seclusions/restraints (159 seclusions/119 restraints),with average number of episodes 3.5/patient (range 1–28). Thirty‐seven children and adolescents placed in seclusion and/or restraints had three or more episodes. In the first six months of study, the number of seclusions/restraints episodes were 93 (73 seclusions/20 restraints), involving 22 children and adolescents (females 11/males 11). Comparatively, in final six months of study following the training program, there were 31 episodes (6 seclusions/25 restraints) involving 11 children and adolescents (females 7/males 4). The major diagnoses of the youth placed in seclusion and/or restraints were disruptive behavior disorders (61%) and mood disorders (52%). Conclusions This study shows downward trend in seclusions/restraints among hospitalized youth after implementation of National Association of State Mental Health ProgramDirectors six core strategies based on trauma informed care.