Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, cilt.1, sa.3, ss.108-114, 2010 (ESCI)
Objectives: This study intended to analyze the characteristics of male and female patients kept in mechanical restraint in acute psychotic clinics. Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was undertaken in a psychiatric hospital in Istanbul between 1 November 2007 and 31 January 2008. The research was conducted in two psychotic services with patients kept in restraint who were randomly selected as one male and one female. All the cases kept in restraint and all the restraint applications made during the research period constituted the sample. Data were collected using an information form created by the researchers, and the form was completed for each restraint application. The obtained data were assessed using percentage, chi-square tests and t-test on computer environment. Results: It was found that in the female clinic, 66 among 321 patients were restrained, the number of restraints was 140, the average restraint duration was 6.10 +/- 4.5 hours, and in 38.6% of cases, the restraint method was the chest belt in addition to four-point restraint. In the male clinic, 35 among 259 patients were restrained, the number of restraints was 65, the average restraint duration was 3.15 +/- 2.7 hours, and in 64.6% of cases, the method of restraint was the four-point restraint. Between the male and female clinics, the number and the duration of restraints, the number of repeated restraints and methods of restraint were found to be statistically significantly different (p<0.001). When the factors that may affect the restraint application in male and female patients were evaluated, differences were determined between the two groups in terms of average age, marital status, psychiatric diagnosis, level of insight, recognition of the initial signs of aggression by nurses, the attitudes of the patients, and the frequency of the nurses' observation (p<0.05). However, there were no differences in terms of disease duration and history of prior violence. Conclusion: The number of restraints and duration of restraint were higher in the female clinic. The style of restraint also differed between genders. In male patients, although the frequencies of younger age, diagnosis of schizophrenia and lack of insight were higher, it may be considered that recognition of the initial signs of aggression by nurses and observation at 15-minute intervals are efficient in decreasing the restraint number and duration. The factors that affect the application of restraint need to be investigated using different methods. Studies on aggression management should be regarded and efforts should be made to decrease restraint usage and duration.