Long-term reduction of seclusion and forced medication on a hospital-wide level: Implementation of an open-door policy over 6 years

• Published in: European psychiatry Vol. 48; no. 1; pp. 51 - 57
• Main Authors: Hochstrasser, L., Fröhlich, D., Schneeberger, A.R., Borgwardt, S., Lang, U.E., Stieglitz, R.-D., Huber, C.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Masson SAS 01-02-2018
• Subjects: Acute psychiatric treatment; Adult; Aggression; Aggression - psychology; Closed ward; Coercive treatment; Compulsory treatment; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Inpatients - psychology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental Disorders - drug therapy; Mental Disorders - psychology; Middle Aged; Open doors; Patient Isolation; Policy; Psychiatric Department, Hospital; Restraint, Physical - psychology; Suicide - psychology; Switzerland; Switzerland; Open doors; Coercive treatment; Compulsory treatment; Aggression; Acute psychiatric treatment; Closed ward
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.09.008

Psychiatric inpatient treatment is increasingly performed in settings with locked doors. However, locked wards have well-known disadvantages and are ethically problematic. In addition, recent data challenges the hypothesis that locked wards provide improved safety over open-door settings regarding suicide, absconding and aggression. Furthermore, there is evidence that the introduction of an open-door policy may lead to short-term reductions in involuntary measures. The aim of this study was to assess if the introduction of an open-door policy is associated with a long-term reduction of the frequency of seclusion and forced medication.
In this 6-year, hospital-wide, longitudinal, observational study, we examined the frequency of seclusion and forced medication in 17,359 inpatient cases admitted to the Department of Adult Psychiatry, Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken (UPK) Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland. In an approach to enable a less restrictive policy, six previously closed psychiatric wards were permanently opened beginning from August 2011. During this process, a systematic change towards a more patient-centered and recovery-oriented care was applied. Statistical analysis consisted of generalized estimating equations (GEE) models.
In multivariate analyses controlling for potential confounders, the implementation of an open-door policy was associated with a continuous reduction of seclusion (from 8.2 to 3.5%; ηp2=0.82; odds ratio: 0.88) and forced medication (from 2.4 to 1.2%; ηp2=0.70; odds ratio: 0.90).
This underlines the potential of the introduction of an open-door policy to attain a long-term reduction in involuntary measures.