A woman is standing alone in a padded cell with her arms out Wellcome V0041242

A padded cell is a cell in a

psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...

with cushions lining the walls. The padding is an attempt to prevent patients from hurting themselves by hitting their head (or other bodily parts) on the hard surface of the walls. In most cases, an individual's placement in a padded cell is involuntary. Other names used are "rubber room", seclusion room, time out room, calming room, quiet room, or personal safety room.

Use

The length of time patients were kept in a padded cell varied greatly. Some patients remained locked in a padded cell for several days. A patient might also be made to wear a

straitjacket A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with long sleeves that surpass the tips of the wearer's fingers. Its most typical use is restraining people who may cause harm to themselves or others. Once the wearer slides their arms into the ...

if they were considered at risk of self-harm. The use of padded cells and straitjackets declined drastically following the introduction of

psychotropic A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance, that changes functions of the nervous system, and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior. Th ...

drugs in the 1950s. Personal Safety Rooms are still used throughout the world and can be beneficial in providing a safe environment for not only occupants but also staff, and can prevent work-related injuries in the facilities. A reconstructed padded cell is maintained at the Mental Health Museum,

Fieldhead Hospital Fieldhead Hospital is a psychiatric and learning disability hospital in Wakefield, United Kingdom. It is managed by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. History The hospital, which replaced earlier hospitals such as Oulton Ha ...

, Wakefield, UK.

Current practice

In the UK, seclusion is defined by the

Mental Health Act 1983 The Mental Health Act 1983 (c.20) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covers the reception, care and treatment of mentally disordered people, the management of their property and other related matters, forming part of the ment ...

Code of Practice as: "the supervised confinement of a patient in a room, which may be locked. Its sole aim is to contain severely disturbed behaviour that is likely to cause harm to others." The Code of Practice (paragraph 26.109) says that a seclusion room should only be used for that purpose and should have the following features: *"Allow for communication with the patient when the patient is in the room and the door is locked, for example, via an intercom *Include limited furnishings, which should include a bed, pillow, mattress and blanket or covering *Have no apparent safety hazards *Have robust, reinforced window(s) that provide natural light (where possible the window should be positioned to enable a view outside) *Have externally controlled lighting, including a main light and subdued lighting for night time *Have robust door(s) which open outwards *Have externally controlled heating and/or air conditioning, which enables those observing the patient to monitor the room temperature *Have no blind spots and alternate viewing panels should be available where required *Always have a clock visible to the patient from within the room *Have access to toilet and washing facilities"

References

External links

TheTimeChamber
- History and photographs of Padded Cells in Great Britain

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photos in abandoned hospitals Psychiatric restraint Rooms Psychiatric hospitals {{psych-stub