In psychiatry, the rates of isolation and physical restraint have increased over the past decade, and there are various opinions about factors associated with such increases. Some of these opinions also provide information regarding physical restraint in general medical services and care facilities, or internationally compare the situation. The Japanese legal system only specifies justifiable causes of legality in psychiatry. There are also a number of challenges to be addressed in this area, such as clarifying the difference in the definition of physical restraint between psychiatry and care services. Furthermore, as there is no law specifying justifiable causes of legality in general medical services, it is necessary to determine whether treatment of a general patient was justifiable upon deliberation.
 Concerning factors associated with the increasing rate of physical restraint, there have been no studies on this issue since a questionnaire survey, where approximately 70% of all hospitals responded, was conducted in 1999. Although a survey to assess the overall situation was launched in 2003, patient attributes to identify associated factors were not examined. In another survey that started in 2017, information, including patient attributes, is being collected, but further studies may be required to examine these factors.
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