Patients’ experiences of debriefing within secure settings v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patients’ experiences of debriefing within secure mental health settings.
IRAS ID
353696
Contact name
James Stroud
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
Restricted patients (e.g. detained under the Mental Health Act) can be subjected to restrictive interventions such as physical, mechanical and chemical restraint as well as seclusion and segregation and they are intended to be a last resort method to reduce risk of harm (Department of Health, 2014; Hui, 2017). Within forensic mental health settings, research has shown that they can have a significant psychological impact on patients and affect recovery (Askew et al., 2020; Franke et al., 2019; Hui, 2017; Tomlin et al., 2020).The Department of Health (2014) recognise these consequences and views debriefing, following the implementation of restrictive interventions, as a fundamental intervention in reducing such interventions. Whilst debriefing has been shown to be beneficial within inpatient mental health settings, research exploring patients’ experiences within forensic mental health settings remains understudied (Lawrence et al., 2022; Mangaoil et al., 2018; Sutton et al., 2014).
To explore this further, this study will speak with patients who have experienced debriefing across two secure forensic mental health settings in Wales. Participants will engage in an interview, in a safe location in the hospital. The interview will last around 60 minutes where they will be asked about their experiences of debriefing within a forensic mental health setting. Interviews will be voice recorded and stored securely (in line with Cardiff University policy).
All participants will be given a £20 high street voucher for taking part.
Information gathered during the interview will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
The results of this study will help to better understand patients’ experiences of debriefing, within forensic mental health settings. This novel study could add knowledge and insight to the evidence-base and address a gap within the literature. The results could also inform services about the debriefing needs of patients within this context, potentially improving the way it is done.
Lay summary of study results: The findings showed that restrictive interventions (RIs) often left patients feeling emotionally distressed, powerless, and unable to control what was happening to them.
The study also identified what participants felt they needed to be able to take part in post-RI support. Participants said they needed to feel psychologically safe before they could talk about their experiences. This was supported by having trusted and familiar staff involved, as well as opportunities to speak with independent staff who had not been involved in the RI. Participants also described ward activities, humour within relationships, and informal conversations with staff as feeling more comfortable and psychologically safe.
Finally, participants described wanting support and connection from staff after a RI. They wanted to feel listened to, cared for, and given the opportunity to make sense of what had happened. Participants saw these as important parts of good post-RI support.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SW/0123
Date of REC Opinion
29 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion