Applying ethical principles to restraint practice.

There are about 1.14 million people in the UK who have a learning disability, of whom more than 20% have a co-morbid mental health issue (Cooper et al 2007) often resulting in the need for help from mental health services. Within inpatient services, physical interventions are frequently used if de-e...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Learning Disability Practice Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 23 - 27
Autor principal: Smethurst, Laura Jane
Formato: Journal Article
Publicado: Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom (The) Feb2016
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:There are about 1.14 million people in the UK who have a learning disability, of whom more than 20% have a co-morbid mental health issue (Cooper et al 2007) often resulting in the need for help from mental health services. Within inpatient services, physical interventions are frequently used if de-escalation techniques have failed during episodes of challenging behaviour. The effects and ethical issues of these physical interventions on people with learning disabilities are often overlooked. This article considers four ethical principles - respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice - and how physical restraint breaches these principles. The author concludes that restraint practices cannot be removed altogether and makes five recommendations to ensure safer practice.