Table 1 Cases of Pasung on Samosir Island
From: Pasung: Physical restraint and confinement of the mentally ill in the community
Case Number | Male/Female | Age (Years) | Diagnosis | Duration of illness (years) | Previous psychiatric treatment (Yes/No) | Type of pasung | Duration in pasung(years) | Initiator | Reason for pasung | Released? (Yes/No) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | M | 56 | Depression, post-schizophrenia | >25 | yes | wooden stocks | 21 | Family and community | History of violence; treatment not affordable | yes |
2 | M | 26 | Schizophrenia | 5 | yes | confined in a small room | 5 | Family | Treatment not affordable; fear of violence | yes |
3 | M | 28 | Schizophrenia and suspected mild mental retardation | 10 | yes | tied with rope | 10 | Family | Treatment not affordable; fear of violence; fear that he will get lost and come to harm | yes |
4 | M | 27 | Schizophrenia | 12 | no | chained | 10 | Family and community | Setting fire to family house and church; history of violence; considered dangerous | no |
5 | F | 45 | Schizophrenia | >15 | no | confined in a small room | 4 | family | Fear that she will run away and come to harm | yes |
6 | F | 55 | Schizophrenia | 10 | yes | confined in a small room | 2 | family-her children | Treatment not affordable; fear that she will run away; fear of possibility of suicide | yes |
7 | F | 41 | Schizophrenia | 16 | no | tied with rope | 16 | family | Treatment not affordable; fear that she will run away and come to harm; inappropriate sexual behaviour; no-one to look after her | yes |
8 | F | 32 | Schizophrenia | 5 | yes | confined in a small room | 3 | family | Treatment not affordable; fear that she will run away and come to harm; no-one to look after her | yes |
9 | M | 27 | Schizophrenia | 3 | yes | confined in a small room | 2 | family | History of violence; treatment not affordable; no-one to look after him | yes |
10 | M | 25 | Schizophrenia | 5 | no | confined in a small room | 5 | family | History of violence | yes |
11 | F | 25 | Schizoaffective disorder | 5 | no | confined in a small stall in the rice-field | 5 | family | Treatment not affordable; fear that she will run away and come to harm; wasting money; inappropriate sexual behaviour | yes |
12 | F | 56 | Temporal lobe epilepsy with interictal hallucinations and personality change | >20 | yes | tied with rope | 15 | family | History of violence; treatment not affordable; fear that she will come to harm; no-one to look after her | yes, temporary |
13 | F | 55 | Dementia of unknown aetiology with behavioural disturbance | 5 | yes | tied with rope | 5 | family | Treatment not affordable; fear that she will come to harm and come to harm through accident; no-one to look after her | yes, temporary |
14 | M | 26 | Schizophrenia and suspected mild mental retardation | 5 | no | wooden stocks | 3 | family | History of violence; considered to be dangerous to others; no-one to look after him; treatment not affordable | yes |
15 | M | 35 | Schizophrenia | 15 | yes | wooden stocks | 6 | Family and community | History of violence; considered to be dangerous to others, no-one is willing to look after him; refuses treatment | no |