Immediate Staff Debriefing Following Seclusion or Restraint Use in Inpatient Mental Health Settings: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review is to synthesize the academic and gray literature on the use of immediate staff debriefing following seclusion or restraint events in inpatient mental health settings. Multiple electronic databases were searched to identify literature on the topic of immediate staff debriefing. The analysis identified several core components of immediate staff debriefing: terminology, type, critical reflection, iterative process, training, documentation, and monitoring. While these components were regarded as vital to the implementation of debriefing, they remain inconsistently described in the literature. Immediate staff debriefing is an important intervention not only to prevent future episodes of seclusion and restraint use, but as a forum for staff to support each other emotionally and psychologically after a potentially distressing event. The core components identified in this review should be incorporated into the organization’s policies, practice guidelines, and training modules to ensure consistent conceptualization and implementation of the debriefing process.