title: Carer experience of Community Treatment Orders: implications for rights based/recovery-oriented mental health legislation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to determine the views and experiences of carers of people with severe mental illness in regard to Community Treatment Orders (CTOs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires were posted using the mailing lists of two well-established carer support organisations in Victoria. The questionnaires included information about the person with a mental illness, the carer and their experience of care (ECI) and knowledge of recovery (RKI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 278 questionnaires were sent and 63 returned, of which 62 provided valid data. Those who responded were predominantly female (90%) and older (mean age 63 years), and were the carer of a person with a severe and recurrent mental illness. Some 60% had experience of caring for a person on a CTO. Most felt the CTO had been of benefit, and in 89% the person relapsed and needed further treatment when the CTO was stopped.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental health legislation is shifting to bring a greater focus on rights, individual choice and autonomy in line with recovery-oriented care. This study describes the impact of severe mental illness and decisions in relation to CTOs on carers.
authors: Executive Director NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia ruth.vine@mh.org.au.
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Vine
authors: Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Komiti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria
keywords: carers; community Treatment Orders; recovery