Good practice issues in psychiatric intensive-care units

Aims and method To survey some aspects of care relevant to good practice in psychiatric intensive-care units. Results A number of areas of concern were identified, including care issues for informal and female patients, a lack of uniform clinical leadership and a paucity of policies/guidelines for high-risk areas of clinical practice. Clinical implications In an attempt to provide a service for the most disturbed patients from widely varying sources, psychiatric intensive-care units are at risk of compromising the ability to provide good-quality clinical care.