Carer experience of Community Treatment Orders: implications for rights based/recovery-oriented mental health legislation

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). Method: 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. Conclusion: 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.