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Ligature and/or Suicide Risk Reduction - Unlocked or Open Psychiatric Units
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Are the recommendations the same for open and/or unlocked psychiatric units ?

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Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.

The recommendations for a ligature-resistant environment for inpatient psychiatric units (in both a psychiatric hospital and a general acute care hospital) apply to closed or secure/locked psychiatric units in which entrance to and exit from the unit are controlled by unit staff and a patient could not independently leave the unit without supervision. The recommendations would not apply to an open or unlocked psychiatric unit in which patients are able to enter and exit of their own accord.

This FAQ was also published in the Perspectives® Newsletter, July 2018, Volume 38, Issue 7 - The Official Newsletter of The Joint Commission.

Additional Resource
Suicide Prevention Portal
Manual: Hospital and Hospital Clinics
Chapter: National Patient Safety Goals NPSG
Last reviewed by Standards Interpretation: February 01, 2022 Represents the most recent date that the FAQ was reviewed (e.g. annual review).
First published date: June 27, 2018 This Standards FAQ was first published on this date.
This page was last updated on February 01, 2022 with update notes of: Review only, FAQ is current Types of changes and an explanation of change type: Editorial changes only: Format changes only. No changes to content. | Review only, FAQ is current: Periodic review completed, no changes to content. | Reflects new or updated requirements: Changes represent new or revised requirements.
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