Prohibited Items and Costume Design

I realized while researching that psychiatric hospitals are incredibly restrictive and paranoid. I researched the psychiatric ward at  Austin Lakes Hospital and The University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry and discovered numerous prohibited items compared to the amount of accepted items.

These hospitals imagine all the possibilities of how patients could hurt themselves.

Strings and laces are not allowed because the hospital has the concern that a patient could try to hang himself. Zippers are prohibited in the case that a patient may try to cut himself. Patients aren't even allowed to have flowers delivered by visitors due to the fear that glass vases and thorns could be used as cutting devices.

I had to make changes to my initial costume design when I learned of this information. I initially wanted the character to wear a loose fitting and disheveled-looking sweater, but I had to throw away that idea since the sweater would have strings and a zipper. So my main character is limited to sweatpants and a plain shirt.

I also had to make sure that no jewelry was on her hands, neck, or ears. No jewelry of any kind is allowed in those hospitals. I had to take all of these restrictions into account when filming. This research has helped me become as accurate as I can be in this kind of setting I am trying to create.