Investigating the frequency of physical restraint and factors related to it in psychiatric hospital wards

Background: Physical restraint has been utilized for the past 65 years to protect patients from self-harm, ensure the safety of staff and other patients, and prevent damage to equipment. Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of physical restraint and its related factors in the inpatient wards of Shafa Psychiatric Hospital. Methods: The current descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 214(7.34%) inpatients under physical restraint at Shafa Psychiatric Hospital in 2022. The data of the present study were extracted from documents and forms of physical restraint completed after patient restraint. Data analysis was done using STATA version 14 software. Results: The results indicated that physical restraints were used 295 times, accounting for 10.13% of cases. The average age of the patients was 36.7 years, with a standard deviation of 12.5 years. Among the patients, 147 (69%) were male, 91 (51.1%) had a history of unemployment, and 102 (53.4%) were single. Additionally, 165 out of 214 patients, or 77.1%, had a previous history of hospitalization, and 115 patients (7.53%) had a history of drug use. The average duration of restraint was 18.5 minutes, with a standard deviation of 7.6 minutes. The highest frequency of physical restraints occurred in patients diagnosed with substance-related psychosis, totaling 61 cases (15.5%), particularly in the evening with 87 instances (40.9%). The most common reason for restraint was due to aggression, occurring in 81 cases (32%). Conclusion: The results indicated that restraint was more frequent among unmarried men who had a history of hospitalization, drug use, a diagnosis of drug psychosis, an education level below a diploma, and unemployment. The majority of personnel involved in restraining patients were nurses, and the most common reason for restraint was patient aggression, with a higher prevalence of restraint occurring during the evening shift. Identifying effective factors in containment helps formulate preventive strategies, more precise interventions, patient education programs, and treatment teams in psychiatric hospitals.