Seclusion in context: introducing a seclusion room into a children's unit of a municipal hospital.

To assess the effects of a seclusion room in context, the 15-month period before and after its introduction into a children's unit at a large municipal hospital was studied. Results indicate that frequency of restraints did not change, that restrained children stayed longer, and that staff and children preferred seclusion to other management interventions. The influence of hospital context on the use of seclusion and restraints is discussed.