Seclusion
{{Short description|Act of isolating from society}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
File:PaulHermitPretiMattia Preti's St. Paul the Hermit - Cleveland Museum of Art.jpg, known in the Catholic and Coptic Church as the first saint to live a secluded life]]
Seclusion is the act of secluding (i.e. isolating from society), the state of being secluded, or a place that facilitates it (a secluded place). A person, couple, or larger group may go to a secluded place for privacy or peace and quiet. The seclusion of an individual is called solitude.
Restrictions on the seclusion of a man and a woman
{{Further2|Yichud (in Jewish law) and Khilwa (in Islamic law)}}
In some cases where there are legal, religious or social restrictions on two people having physical intimacy, there may be restrictions on being together in a secluded place. For example, under traditional schools of sharia or Islamic law, a man and a woman who are not married and not mahram, may be forbidden to be together in a house, a bathroom, or a secluded place. A man and woman could be in a secluded area for work purposes, just talking, or anything that does not allow them to pass their limits. See also yichud—a similar rule in Judaism.
As a therapy
{{See also|Solitude|Padded cell}}
Seclusion may be used as a control tactic in psychological treatment settings. Seclusion of an agitated person in a quiet room free of stimulation may help de-escalate a situation which may be dangerous to the agitated person or those around them.
In relation to administering medications, seclusion is a tactic devised for non-compliant patients. Methods used to restrict the freedom of such patients include medication (including chemical restraint), physical restraint, and behavioral therapy.{{cite book|author1=David M. Stoff|author2=James Breiling|author3=Jack D. Maser|title=Handbook of antisocial behavior: David M. Stoff, James Breiling, and Jack D. Maser, editors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grg6nHFYeYMC&pg=PA448|accessdate=12 December 2010|year=1997|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|isbn=978-0-471-12452-8|page=448}}
Seclusion must only be used in the best interest of the patient, it must only be used as a last resort method, and it must not be prolonged as a form of punishment on the patient. When it is otherwise used, it may be considered a form of solitary confinement. In Ireland, The Mental Health Commission governs seclusion in psychiatric institutions. The act states that people can only be placed in seclusion if
- it prevents them from hurting themselves and/or others
- and it complies with the rules set out by the commission.{{cite book|author1=Jean Morrissey|author2=Jenm|author3=Brian Keogh|author4=Louise Doyle|title=Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aBL8LwAACAAJ|year=2008|publisher=Dekker|isbn=978-0-7171-4459-4|page=41}}
To prevent contagious disease transmission self-isolation is used as a public health measure.