Seclusion is an
intervention widely used and has a long history within
psychiatric care. The paper shows that literature
over the past ten years suggests seclusion is effective in control of violent/aggressive behaviors. However, the concept of seclusion has been too often interchanged with the concept of solitary confinement, as is the rationale for initiation of seclusion and this would lead to questioning the intended outcome for the patient. This paper reviews the literature in relation to the use of seclusion and asks the question: Is seclusion used as a therapeutic nursing
intervention? For the purpose of this paper, the literature reviewed focuses on primary research around the subject of seclusion as an intervention with the patients and nursing staff's perceptions being explored.