An inventory method for assessing the degree of restraint imposed by others.

An inventory for assessing the degree of mechanical restraint imposed by others to prevent individuals from inflicting physical injuries to themselves or to others, the Imposed Mechanical Restraint Inventory (IMRI), was developed. The inventory was administered to pairs of residential direct-care staff members to assess 113 individuals with mental retardation who showed self-injurious behavior while various sorts of mechanical restraint were imposed on them. The results indicate that the inventory showed acceptable levels of interobserver reliability, intraobserver reliability, and accuracy.