jacquern1

The use of weapons of any kind on an inpatient psychiatric unit seems a bit counter-intuitive to the work of psychiatry. These are patients, not criminals and their behavior is part of their illness. A show of force and assistance to physically subdue a patient when other means fail are acceptable means of managing these patients but how can the use of any weapon be justified for in-patient psychiatry? CPI and CIT training are examples of training for mental health staff and police used for the management of behaviors. Medication management, close monitoring for escalating behaviors, and de-escalation are all tools of the mental health trade. Physically holding a patient down is sometimes needed to give them their medications over refusal (when allowed by court order) but ignoring the fact that their behavior is part of a disease process and resorting to treating them like criminals rather than using proven methods seems wrong.