Spotlight data: Three line graphs showing seclusion rate (events per 1,000 bed days) in Australia from 2009–10 to 2021–22 and mechanical and physical restraint rate from 2015–16 to 2021–22. Seclusion is the confinement of a person alone in a room and cannot leave by themselves. The national seclusion rate halved from 2009–10 to 2021–22. This is real change in how services use seclusion. Mechanical restraint is when items are used on a person’s body to stop them moving freely, such as belts or straps. Mechanical restraint is consistently low, with a national rate of 2 events per 1,000 bed days in 2015–16 and 1 in 2021–22. Physical restraint is when staff use their hands or body to stop a person moving freely. The physical restraint rate has stayed consistent at 10 to 12 events per 1,000 bed days since 2015–16. Refer to Tables 1 and 4.