{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T13:27:49Z","timestamp":1781098069212,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Royal College of Psychiatrists","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,2]],"date-time":"2018-01-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1514851200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":4415,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Br J Psychiatry"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2005,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The development of single-sex medium secure units for women has been driven by concern about the vulnerability of women to sexual abuse and exploitation in mixed-sex secure settings. Less is known about how women patients and staff perceive gender segregation and their experiences in single-sex units.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title><jats:p>To examine the impact of gender segregation on the safety of women patients detained in medium secure psychiatric facilities.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method<\/jats:title><jats:p>A qualitative study was conducted involving individual interviews with 58 male and female staff and 31 women patients in single-sex and mixed-sex medium secure units throughout England and Wales.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Women patients in both types of units reported high levels of actual and threatened physical and sexual violence. Women in single-sex units reported intimidation, threats and abuse by other women patients, although they were less vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation and serious physical assault.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Further development of single-sex secure units for women may not be justified on the grounds of safety issues alone. Risk assessment of forensic psychiatric patients must include a full assessment of their safety within the psychiatric setting.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.187.6.579","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2005,11,30]],"date-time":"2005-11-30T23:27:45Z","timestamp":1133393265000},"page":"579-582","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":68,"title":["Safety of women in mixed-sex and single-sex medium secure units: staff and patient perceptions"],"prefix":"10.1192","volume":"187","author":[{"given":"Gillian","family":"Mezey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yonette","family":"Hassell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Annie","family":"Bartlett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"170","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref5","first-page":"33","article-title":"An exploratory investigation into women's experiences in a mixed sex psychiatric admission unit","volume":"7","author":"Cleary","year":"1998","journal-title":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref7","volume-title":"Review of Health and Social Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders and Others Requiring Similar Services","year":"1992"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/pb.21.5.270"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref9","volume-title":"The Patients\u2019 Charter: Privacy and Dignity and the Provision of Single Sex Accommodation","year":"1997"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09585180050142534"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref12","volume-title":"Introduction to Qualitative Research","author":"Flick","year":"2002"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/bsl.2370120304"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0955603600003111"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09585189908402137"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref8","volume-title":"Report of the Working Party on High Security and Related Provision","year":"1994"},{"key":"S0007125000168837_ref10","volume-title":"Women's Mental Health: Into the Mainstream. 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