Factors associated with the use of mechanical restraint in disability services

Abstract

Background: Mechanical restraint refers to the use of materials or devices to restrict the behaviours of a person with a disability, where the restraint is neither for therapeutic purposes or required by law. The inappropriate use of mechanical restraint is recognised in legislation and policy as a violation of people’s human rights, and a risk to their health and wellbeing. Understanding who is at risk of mechanical restraint may assist service providers to better support people with a disability. Method: State-wide data collected between July 2012 to June 2013 were sourced. Odds ratios were used to describe the associations between individual characteristics and whether an individual was s..