Psychiatric Patients' Experiences of being restrained: A phenomenological study

초록

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how Korean patients in psychiatric wards reflect on their lived experiences of being restrained during hospitalizations and what kinds of meanings were given to their body and mind. The author used in-depth interviews to collect data from ten psychiatric participants who could remember and speak out against their restraint experiences. Thematic analysis of the transcribed interview texts was conducted, and reflective journals served as data in the analysis. Participants stated both positive and negative aspects of restraint. Feelings of being shocked and scared throughout their bodies, feeling bad and dented, and feeling powerlessness were common themes as the negative facets of being restrained. However, participants also added their bodily experiences as positive opportunities that could help them become emotionally stable by surrendering their physical freedom. In addition, themes such as gaining control over confused mind and admitting an inevitable help to organize scattered thoughts were revealed in terms of the concept of embodiment. Discussions included restraint and seclusion as a co-occurring phenomenon, and the issues of inter-relationships among dimensions of restraint. With the findings of this study, nurses can better understand the deeper meanings of being restrained in the mental health setting. Keywords: Restraint, Phenomenology, Qualitative