KPIs for Australian Public Mental Health Services: PI 15J – Seclusion rate, 2022

Collection and usage attributes

Coverage/Scope:

State/territory public acute admitted patient mental health service units in-scope for reporting in accordance with the Mental health seclusion and restraint National best endeavours data set (NBEDS).

Methodology:

Reference period for 2022 performance reporting: 2021–22

• Seclusion data are compiled by state/territory data providers according to the specifications of the Mental health seclusion and restraint (SECREST) NBEDS. As such, data are subject to the concepts and definitions developed for the data set.
• For the purpose of this indicator, when a mental health service organisation has more than one unit of a particular admitted patient care program, those units should be combined.

(Numerator ÷ Denominator) x 1,000

Total number of seclusion events occurring within the reference period

Total number of accrued mental health care days within the reference period.

Service variables: target population, remoteness.

Consumer attributes: nil.

Representational attributes

N[NN].N

Indicator conceptual framework

Accountability attributes

National Health Reform Agreement

State/territory health departments

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

State/territory level

Collection of seclusion data at the national level occurs via the Mental Health Seclusion and Restraint National best endeavours data set (SECREST NBEDS). Data on the characteristics of the consumers subject to seclusion is not currently available.

• The use of seclusion is governed by either legislation (a Mental Health Act or equivalent) or mandatory policy within each state and territory. The definitions used within the legislation and policies vary slightly between jurisdictions. These variations should be recognised in the interpretation of the indicator.
• The duration of seclusion is an essential piece of information to align with an indicator of the rate or frequency of seclusion as it provides a better understanding of an organisation’s performance in relation to seclusion use and management. However, the capacity to collect information regarding duration of seclusion episodes varies substantially across jurisdictions. Work continues at a national level that will facilitate the development of a meaningful indicator of duration as it is likely to be easily skewed by outliers.

Source and reference attributes

National Mental Health Performance Subcommittee 2013. Key Performance Indicators for Australian Public Mental Health Services, 3rd edn. Canberra: NMHPC.

National Mental Health Working Group (NMHWG) 2005. National safety priorities in mental health: a national plan for reducing harm, Health Priorities and Suicide Prevention Branch, Department of Health and Ageing, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

Relational attributes