Absconding and locking ward doors: evidence from the literature.

The article discusses a study that reviewed literature on the relationship between locking ward doors and rates of escaping among adult psychiatric inpatients. The data used for the review were obtained through electronic searches and it was found that the preferred time frame of the studies before a patient is considered an absconder is 1 to 24 hours. The author says that the incidence of absconding is almost always higher for open wards.