Retour post-isolement en milieu psychiatrique : développement, implantation et évaluation d’une intervention en soins aigus

In Quebec, seclusion with or without restraint (SR) affects nearly one in four patients in psychiatric wards (Dumais, Larue, Drapeau, Ménard & Giguère-Allard, 2011). It is widely recognized that this practice affects patients, nurses, and organizations (Stewart, Van der Merwe, Bowers, Simpson, & Jones, 2010). Coercive measures pose an ethical dilemma and are the object of policies aimed at reducing or even eliminating their use. Studies on patients’ experience and nurses’ perception of seclusion showed the need for a review of the seclusion event. Several teams of researchers proposed a post-seclusion and-or restraint review (PSRR) involving both the staff and the patient as an intervention to reduce the incidence of SR. It aims at exchanges on emotions, analysis of the steps leading to the decision to use SR, and projection of future interventions.  The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a PSRR with patient and staff of an acute psychiatric care unit to improve their care experience. The research questions were: 1) What is the context of implementation of the PSRR? 2) What are the facilitators and barriers to PSRR implementation according to patients and staff? 3) What is the point of view of patients and staff regarding the modalities and impact of PSRR?, and 4) Is PSRR implementation associated with a decreased prevalence of SR and a reduction of hours spent in SR?   This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995, 2008) was rooted in a participatory approach. The case was an acute psychiatric care unit specialized in first-episode psychosis. To document the context prior to the implementation of the PSRR, the principal investigator went through a 56-hour immersion on the unit and individually interviewed a convenience sample of staff (n= 14) and patients (n= 3). A committee of experts (the principal investigator, six nurses from the unit and a patient partner) developed the two PSRR tools (one for the patient and one for the staff) that were implemented. To evaluate the impact of the PSRR, patients (n = 3) and staff (n =12) were interviewed and data on the prevalence and duration of SR were collected before (6 months) and after (6 months) the implementation of the PSRR. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis (Miles, Huberman, and Saldana, 2014) and administrative data were analyzed with descriptive and non-parametric statistics.  The findings were that, for patients, the context of implementation was defined by implicit and explicit standards. They felt they had to conform to staff expectations and unit’s rules. Patients believed that the use of SR could create a vicious circle of aggressive behaviours fuelled by their profound feeling of injustice regarding SR. Participants’ viewpoint showed the ongoing need to foster opportunities for authentic communication, especially through a PSSR. The practice of PSSR seemed to vary from one staff member to the other.  For staff, findings suggested that the main facilitator for the implementation of the PSRR was the study’s participatory approach, while barriers were related to the difficulties in involving all witnesses of the SR witnesses within the staff PSSR. During the PSRR with the patient, nurses felt they could explore patient’s feelings and point of view, which led to the restoration of the therapeutic relationship. The staff PSRR was perceived as a learning opportunity and allowed for adjusting the patient’s treatment plan. There was a significant reduction in the use and the duration of seclusion in comparison with data prior to implementation.  The findings highlighted the possibility to overcome the perceived discomfort of all parties regarding SR by systematizing the use of a PSRR with patients and staff. Additionally, the findings emphasized the need for a genuine presence of the nurse to achieve meaningful sharing in the therapeutic relationship, which is the cornerstone of mental health nursing. This study contributed to knowledge on the management of aggressive behaviour in psychiatric settings by shedding light on the context in which SR practices occur, by offering two PSRR tools, and by exploring the impact of their implementation. The results supported the potential of a participatory research approach in which patients and staff perspectives were taken into account to develop alternatives approaches to the use of SR.

Keyphrases: seclusion and restraint, post-seclusion and/or restraint, mental health, nursing, reflexivity, case study, participatory approach