Views of child psychiatrists on physical contact with patients
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Michelle Mulcahy; Christopher Holmes; Pavan Srireddy; Roddy Lander; Aileen Blower; Helen Minnis; Anna Crawford; Ruth Elliot; Clare McNulty
- Source
- The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. 188
- Subject
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Scrutiny
Adolescent
Attitude of Health Personnel
050109 social psychology
Child and adolescent
medicine
Child and adolescent psychiatry
Humans
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Psychiatry
Child
Patient comfort
Aged
Child Psychiatry
Child psychiatrists
business.industry
Mental Disorders
05 social sciences
Middle Aged
United Kingdom
Clinical Practice
Telephone survey
Psychiatry and Mental health
restrict
Touch
Family medicine
Female
business
050104 developmental & child psychology
- Language
- ISSN
- 0007-1250
SummaryThe appropriateness and therapeutic value of physical contact with children is under increasing scrutiny. We conducted a postal questionnaire and telephone survey of consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists within Great Britain to investigate attitudes of specialists towards physical contact with their patients in different clinical contexts. Here we report that psychiatrists tend to restrict physical contact to the minimum essential for patient comfort or safety. Decision-making about contact is primarily influenced by professional experience and training. This conservative approach to physical contact with patients has implications for clinical practice and requires to be better informed by evidence.