Seclusion Led to Lasting Consequences for Mental Health and Well-Being
Participants described facing lasting post-traumatic stress symptoms after experiencing seclusion, including panic attacks when in small rooms or when encountering people in positions of power and authority.
“My depression worsened”
“I can’t sleep at night because I’m thinking about it”
“[Seclusion] reinforced trauma so significantly that it manifests as complex, confusing symptoms”
Experiencing seclusion heightened institutional stigma and self-stigma.
Having a violence alert placed on the health record, such as a ‘purple dot ’, served as a lasting indicator to all staff in the future that they pose a risk of violence.
“I have a permanent purple dot which will never be removed from my file… It’ll follow you everywhere in your health record”
Rarely discussing the seclusion experience with others, out of fear of facing stigma.
“I have my own internalized stigma. I can’t even share [my story] with people, because what are they going to think? ‘She must have acted out if she got put there’, right?”
