title: Locked mental health wards: the answer to absconding?
abstract: A recent decision by the Queensland government to lock its 16 mental health inpatient facilities has met with condemnation by a number of professional bodies. This column canvasses some of the legal and ethical issues relating to locked wards and provides an overview of the literature on whether or not locking wards reduces absconding. It is argued that any benefits in preventing absconding through locking all mental health inpatient facilities is outweighed by the adverse effects locked wards have on those detained.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McSherry
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D012637:Security Measures / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*