The aim of the study was to register all incidences of mechanical restraint imposed upon patients hospitalized at an Acute Psychiatric Ward during the year 2008. Associations with social and clinical characteristics of patients were explored.

The study was conducted at one of the five open Acute Wards of the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, All incidences of mechanical restraint were recorded. For each incidence the reason, the duration, the severity and procedural aspects were documented. Socio-clinical characteristics of all patients admitted to the Ward during the year 2008 were registered and possible associations with the implementation of coercive measures were explored.

During 2008 342 admissions were made to the D’ Acute Ward % involuntary. Overall, 157 incidents of mechanical restraint were documented (106 patients; 72 male, 34 female) and the most common diagnosis was ‘psychotic disorder’ (group 1). The main reason for the implementation of the measure was the patient not to leave the clinic However, it is interesting that a highly statistical significant difference was observed in the previous history of psychiatric disease between the two groups (Mann Whitney Z=-6.650, sig< 0.001).

Twenty years after the initiation of the psychiatric reform in Greece the Psychiatric Hospitals still are the main recipient of patients with severe mental illness who are sometimes forced to be hospitalized many miles away from their place of residence. This raises their distress, leads to overcrowded under-staffed Wards and affects negatively the use of coercive measures.