Seclusion and restraint of patients in mental health centres falls to all-time low, watchdog says

Ottoline Spearman

Practices such seclusion and restraint in mental health centres have fallen to the lowest level since national reporting began.

A report from watchdog, the Mental Health Commission, looked at the use of practices such as seclusion, physical restraint and mechanical restraint across 66 inpatient centres last year.

It found that the total number of restrictive practices fell by 18 per cent on the previous year in 2024. Over a five year period, the total number has reduced by almost half.

Last year however, restrictive practices were still used 2,836 times - but this represents the lowest use since reporting began in 2008.

Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly, said: “From 2008 to 2018, episodes of physical restraint and the number of residents that were being physically restrained increased year-on-year.

"It is, therefore, encouraging to note that our work with service providers over the past number of years has continued to result in substantial reductions in restrictive practices, including seclusion.

"The data for 2024 demonstrates that clinicians and services are increasingly embedding therapeutic, rights-based approaches that prioritise dignity, safety and recovery.”

The Director of Regulation at the Mental Health Commission, Gary Kiernan, said: "These reductions demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting the human rights of people receiving care and ensuring that coercive interventions are used only as a last resort in strictly controlled circumstances.”

The Mental Health Commission introduced revised Rules and Code of Practice on in January 2023, which reinforce a rights-based approach to care and aim to limit the use of restrictive practices.

Speaking on Newstalk, Mr Farrelly said that secluding or restraining people is only done as a last resort: "When someone is very, very, very unwell, they can unfortunately be a risk to themselves. They may be secluded or restrained in law.

"I can imagine someone looking at the numbers might think it's a lot, but actually internationally, Ireland has improved.

"The 50 per cent reduction, the movement to the human rights, the movement to the person-centred approach is really driving the figures down."