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essay on patient restraints
essays on physical restraint in mental health settings
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In 2001, over 450 million people worldwide suffered from mental illness (World Health Organisation, 2001) and these numbers have increased by a wide margin since then. Using restraints in treatment for those who are mentally ill is a topic that creates a large amount of controversy. Many are concerned with how the use of restraints can affect the person and if they are necessary or if alternative measures could be used. The National Alliance of Mental Illness has indicated their position on restraints, “The use of involuntary mechanical or human restraints or involuntary seclusion is only justified as an emergency safety measure in response to imminent danger to a patient or others.” (The National Alliance of Mental Illness, 2001) There have …show more content…
There are many types of restraints used as treatment for the mentally ill, some of the physical restraints used include; face-down restraints, where the patient is pinned down on the floor with their face down and arms behind their backs; posey’s, where there is a cloth vest placed around their chest and belts, which goes across the person and keeps them pinned to a bed or chair. There is also the use of chemical restraints as treatment; this is when medicine is used in order to restrain the person, the medicine would be specific to the mental disorder the individual suffers …show more content…
Will Hall, who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder; talks about a time where he felt the use of restraints against him were unwarranted. He stated, “I was put in restraints - not because of anything I did but they said it was just for transporting me to the hospital”. From this it can be seen that whilst it appears there was no foreseeable danger to Hall or others around him, restraints were still used, arguably unnecessary. Hall also mentioned, “after being restrained I had nightmares that I was being raped”, this highlights the emotional effect restraints can have on a person and how if used for needless reasons, can have adverse side effects. As a result, this shows that the use of restraints in certain situations can be viewed as unethical. In February 2014, Joshua Messier died due to the use of restraints on him during a schizophrenic attack. Boston Globe told the details of the event where they stated, “his heart stopped during the guards’ effort to strap him down”, this happened due to Messier being suffocated from being pinned down in the face down restraint. Alike to Will Hall, this is another case in which the use of restraints can be seen as
Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from, and eventually replaced the older lunatic asylums. The treatment of inmates in early lunatic asylums was sometimes brutal and focused on containment and restraint with successive waves of reform, and the introduction of effective evidence-based treatments, modern psychiatric hospitals provide a primary emphasis on treatment, and attempt where possible to help patients control their own lives in the outside world, with the use of a combination of psychiatric drugs and
(Justia US Law website, n.d.) This means that involuntarily committed patients do have the right to refuse psychiatric treatment as long as they do not pose a danger to themselves or others as determined by a medical provider using professional judgement. (Wortzel, 2006, para. 6) The refusal of treatment is an issue because mental health professionals know that the medications will help the patient, however also knowing that forcing medication could be a liability. (Oriol & Oriol,
Solitary confinement has the ability to shatter even the healthiest mind when subjected to indefinite lockdown, yet the mentally ill, who are disproportionately represented in the overall prison population, make up the majority of inmates who are held in that indefinite lockdown. Within your average supermax prison in which all inmates are subjected to an elevated form of solitary confinement, inmates face a 23-hour lockdown, little to no form of mental or physical stimulation that is topped off with no human interaction beyond the occasional guard to inmate contact. It is no wonder ‘torture’ is often used synonymously to describe solitary confinement. For years, cases arguing against solitary confinement have contested against its inhumane
Forcing someone to take medication or be hospitalized against their will seems contrary to an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment, however, the issue becomes complicated when it involves individuals suffering from a mental illness. What should be done when a person has lost their grasp on reality, or if they are at a risk of harming themselves or others? Would that justify denying individuals the right to refuse treatment and issuing involuntary treatment? Numerous books and articles have been written which debates this issue and presents the recommendations of assorted experts.
Seclusion and restraint started out in psychiatric hospitals and have now evolved into many schools. Restraint started out in England in the mid 19th century after having a history of poor conditions. Since Americans did not open up their first state- run mental hospital until 1822, they were unaware of the negative history that happened during the British reformation ("Human Side of Hospitals"). The American physicians thought that the restraints were keeping their patients safe when it was actually mistreatment of their patients. Anything that can be used to restrict the movements of a patient is a form of restraint. Things used as restraints can be leather or velcro wristlets or anklets that are used to hold the patient or attach them to their bed, lock them in their room, or by using sedating chemicals.
Involuntary hospitalization is a legal procedure used to require individuals with mental health disorders to receive treatment withoaut their care. I am addressing this topic because there is an enormous problem in the medical field with treatment care. Involuntary health care treatment should not be forced upon because it can cause more harm than damage.
Until the middle of the last century, public mental health in the United States had been the responsibility, for the most part, of individual states, who chose to deal with their most profoundly mentally-ill by housing them safely and with almost total asylum in large state mental hospitals. Free of the stresses we all face in our lives, the mentally-ill faced much better prospects for peaceful lives and even recovery than they would in their conditions in ordinary society. In the hospitals, doctors were always accessible for help, patients were assured food and care, and they could be monitored to insure they never became a danger to themselves or others. Our nation’s state hospital system was a stable, efficient way to help improve the lives of our mentally disabled.
more drastic measures are taken to control the patients. One of these methods even leads to a
The quality of confinement including structure design, quality of sound, color and objects within the room are important because they are the factors in what results in the inmates’ experience. In Garisson’s study, he believes that the inmate’s expectations and views on the purpose on solitary confinement was significant factor to the psychological outcome. Garisson believed that if solitary confinement was seen as a torturous punishment, it will increase the potential of psychological harm to inmates. Following Garissons study many other researchers have noted that the inmate’s views on the reasons of solitary confinement and how they are treated during confinement will determine if the will suffer any psychological effects all together. The new research confirms Garisson’s claims by stating that proper treatment during confinement and inmate’s personal views can influence the extent of psychological damages they
Every year, nonviolent people are incarcerated for crimes that do not threaten the safety of others only because they have a mental illness. Because of this, 25-30% of inmates are mentally ill (McClealland 16). To prevent this, most jurisdictions have at least one criterion that is reflected on whether or not a person is posing a danger to themselves or others. Some other criteria which can also be connected to a danger such as a disability or inability to provide for one's basic human needs or that some treatment would be crucial for ones wells being. But being committed requires proof that hospitalizing the patient will be the least restrictive in addition to showing a sign of being dangerous ("Commitment." 26). Court stated that involuntary commitment procedures restrict a harmless person to live safely outside an institution despite the fact that they are mentally ill ("Commitment." 27). Polly Jackson Spencer, Bexar County Judge states, “We don't want to send people to jail if they are not a threat to society” (Dayak, Meena, and Gonzales 24). Forcing harmless individuals into jail will not help their illness. In fact, it will only worsen it. Jails are incapable of handling unstable individuals. Because of their incompetence to help inmates, there is a high number of mentally ill being beaten, mistreated, and killed by guards, or ultimately killing themselves (McClealland 16). Many jails don't even test their incoming inmates for any mental illn...
An article was released by the The Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry and Law which they discuses the challenge that medical doctors face when dealing with inmates that have experienced solitary confinement. Solitary confinement involves isolation from other inmates or any form of communication which has been linked to physical torture (Metzner). Inmates that are either in Supermax prions or wings of prisons that are only solitary confinement, experience abnormal environment, extreme security and only are allowed fours a week to leave their cell (Metzner). Solitary confinement can be very hurtful to an inmate’s mental health especially if they if they have pre existing mental illnesses, if they are in solitary confinement for an extensive period of time and if they have anything available such as radios ...
It is very hard to differentiate an ordinary mental health from a mental illness because there is no easy way of knowing unless you test them. Also, some mental health illnesses can be imitated by physical disorders. Mental health illnesses are ruled on any physical disorder, they are diagnosed and treated from the signs and symptoms, and also on how much the illness affects your everyday life ("Mental health: What's normal, what's not - Mayo Clinic", n.d.). Civil commitment laws have been around in the United States ever since the 1800s. Civil commitment cases mostly consist of family members of a mentally ill person who will try to commit the person in order to guarantee that they get help. The court system does not always care for civil commitment if the person is not showing direct danger or threats to them self or to others around them ("Civil Commitment of the Mentally Ill", n.d). In this paper we will talk about the insanity statutes being used in the state of Georgia and how often the insanity defense is being used, and the major criticisms of the insanity defense.
Solitary confinement actively causes mental illness if a person is confined for long period of time, exceeding the maximum of 21 days. Several cases have been documented of individuals with no prior history of mental illness who developed paranoid psychosis, which required medical treatment after prolonged solitary confinement. Explaining why solitary confinement can be damaging is complicated topic, but can often be subject to the fact the basic human needs for social interaction and sensory stimulation are being taken away. The symptoms of long-term confinement can be related to that of a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The extent of psychological damage varies and will depend on individual factors, environmental factors, the reason of isolation, and its duration. According to Diane Kelsall (2014) “on any given day, there are 850 offenders (about 5.6% of the prison population) in solitary confinement in Canadian federal prisons. The main purpose of incarceration is to prepare offenders for their safe, gradual and structured reintegration back into the community, by placing inmates in segregation for long periods of time you cause damage to their mental and physical
What makes a good person good? According to WikiHow, "We should learn to define our own morals ourselves. One of the simplest ways to do so is to love others, and treat them as you would like to be treated. Try to think of others before yourself. Even doing small things daily will greatly enrich and improve your life, and the lives of others around you." This quote shows us what we need to do in order to be what society thinks as, “good". In order to be a good person, you have to do good and moral things in your society consistently. However people might think that by doing one good thing once in a while will automatically make you a “good person”, but in reality it doesn’t.
Mental disorders plays pivotal role in a person’s actions. An insane or mentally ill person has a hard time controlling their actions and behavior. The criminal justice system is well aware that everyone does not have the same mental state. An insane person or a person who has no control over their actions, or thought process who commits a crime will be seen as incompetent to stand trial. Daily functions for those who suffer from a mental disorder are harder for them to deal with. There is no treatment for the illness, however there is treatment that could assist in making that person’s life easier and productive. The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) helps many clinicians diagnose certain mental disorders (Bartol, 2014). The DSM also can help officials link certain disorders with crime. With the help of the DSM it helps the criminal justice system realize that these disorders are the reason behind the defendant’s actions, versus it being free will. The disorders that are present in the DSM are also broken down into one of four categories: schizophrenic disorders, paranoid disorders, mood disorders and the personality disorder (Bartol, 2014). Although a person’sa mental state may be disoriented, they are still accountable for their actions if they commit a crime. While there are a select few people who suffer from a mental illness or disorder who cannot control their actions, there are also some who can. The insanity defense is also used and abused by some defendants seeking to receive a less punitive punishment. One major reason why the insanity defense was enforced in courts proceedings is because it will be cruel and unusual punishment to imprison someone who does not understand the charges they ar...