Purpose The practice of restraint and confinement of patients with mental disorders is common in Indonesia. This practice is known as pasung and is usually carried out by the family or the villagers in community settings. The previous separated studies have investigated the reasons for, methods, duration and consequences of applying pasung to the patients. A scoping review is needed to study the existing practice of restraint and confinement in Indonesian communities. This study aims to review the published studies on the practice of restraint and confinement of people with mental illness (PWMI) in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review method was used to identify studies on the practices of restraint and confinement of PWMI. A search of Science Direct, PubMed database and Google Scholar for articles was conducted. Findings There is an increasing interest in studying the pasung-related aspects among Indonesian mental health practitioners. The studies included the patients, family, caregivers and community as the research subjects. Various elements of pasung; the actors, duration, reason, the consequences and the challenges in releasing pasung have been reported. Stakeholders should consider many factors related to pasung to achieve the free pasung program in Indonesia. Research limitations/implications Pasung is a practice that exists in a significant number in Indonesia. Although researchers have sounded the importance of the pasung as a problem in the community, much has to be done to alleviate the inhuman treatment of PWMI. Originality/value This paper adds to the literature on the research concerning the practice of restraint and confinement of PWMI. The findings could be uses as the basis of the improvement of policy on mental health services, not only in Indonesia but also in other countries where the practice of restraint and confinements of PWMI in the community settings is existing.