What is it about?
This review explores what makes psychiatric wards feel safe or unsafe from the patients’ perspective. It identifies factors that promote safety, such as supportive staff and structured routines, and those that undermine it, like powerlessness, stigma, and unsafe behaviors. The findings highlight the need for balance between safety measures and patient autonomy to improve care and recovery.
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Why is it important?
Safety is vital for recovery in psychiatric wards, yet patients often feel unsafe. Understanding their perspectives helps improve care, reduce harm, and build trust. This review highlights what makes patients feel safe or unsafe, guiding staff and policy to create environments that support dignity, autonomy, and well-being.
Perspectives
As a mental health nurse, I know safety is central to recovery. This review resonates with my experience: patients feel safer when staff are supportive and routines are clear, but powerlessness and stigma undermine trust. It reinforces the need for patient voice in care.
Allen O'Connor
Edge Hill University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘It Gives Me Safety to Be Here’: Patients' Perspectives About Safety on Psychiatric Wards, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, February 2025, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/inm.70014.
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