"Now that many of us have had a taste of what being cut off from human interaction is like with the COVID 19 restrictions and lockdowns, surely Victorians are more aware of the psychologically damaging effects of seclusion."

The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) is the peak Victorian organisation for people with a lived experience of mental distress or emotional challenges. The unnecessary and widespread use of restrictive practices such as seclusion in mental health treatment is an issue of major concern for our organisation.

We have recently released their second Seclusion Report providing insight to health consumers on how often their hospitals are using seclusion and other harmful practices, and the current state of mental health care.

Seclusion is a traumatic experience and only serves to retraumatise the high proportion of people living with mental health challenges and emotional distress who come from a history of trauma. Mental health services are supposed to use seclusion only as a last resort, but our report indicates that this is not the case. In fact, the average seclusion rate across Victoria has increased this year across all adult units from 9.7, compared to 9.3 last year

Victoria must eliminate seclusion and restraint practices within mental health services, and respond to damaging impacts for individuals, including human rights breaches, and physical and emotional harm!

"That was to be my first, long, drawn out and torturous night in a seclusion room, though the word cell would describe it better." Words of a consumer with lived experience in seclusion!