Objective:

To analyze national trends in the use of restrictive interventions among women with mental health disorders, learning disabilities, or autism in England's mental health services from 2017 to 2025.

Key Findings:

• Rates of restrictive interventions involving women increased by approximately 12% per year from 2017 to 2025, highlighting gendered dimensions in the application of these practices.
• No reduction in restrictive interventions was observed following the introduction of Seni’s Law.
• Increases were most significant for chemical restraint, seclusion, and segregation, while physical and mechanical restraint remained stable.
• Restrictive interventions declined among women under 18 but increased across all adult age groups.

Interpretation:

The findings indicate a persistent gap between policy intent and actual practice, suggesting that legislative frameworks alone are insufficient to reduce restrictive interventions without changes in clinical practice and organizational culture, particularly considering the gendered experiences of women.

Limitations:

• The study relies on publicly available administrative data, which may have limitations in accuracy and completeness.
• The analysis does not account for all potential confounding factors influencing the use of restrictive interventions, which may affect the findings.

Conclusion:

The study highlights the need for improved monitoring systems and coordinated research to inform trauma-informed strategies aimed at reducing restrictive interventions in mental health services, emphasizing the importance of gender-disaggregated data.