A qualitative analysis of the use of community treatment orders in Saskatchewan.
This study examined the opinions of patients who have been placed on a community treatment order (CTO), their relatives, mental health clinicians and representatives of community agencies about the use of CTOs in Saskatchewan. Patients were assessed using indepth interviews, while their relatives, mental health professionals and representatives of community agencies took part in facilitated focus groups. Patients had contradictory feelings about CTOs. Most experienced some degree of coercion while on the orders but many believed that CTOs provided necessary structure in their lives. Clinicians were more consistently positive but recognized the difficult choices in balancing the subject's right to self-determination with the benefits of a treatment order. Family members viewed CTOs as necessary to control a chaotic situation caused by the subject's limited insight.
O'Reilly
Richard L
RL
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, Canada. roreilly@uwo.ca
Keegan
David L
DL
Corring
Deborah
D
Shrikhande
Satish
S
Natarajan
Dhanapal
D
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D019090:Case Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003068:Coercion; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012525:Saskatchewan; D012944:Social Support