Practitioner Perspectives About Managing Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) in England and the Importance of Social Influences

Abstract

Previous research in England has suggested a medical acceptance of Community Treatment Order (CTO) coercion, but none have explored the importance of social influences on practitioner decision making. A sample of 181 practitioners with Mental Health Act responsibilities completed an online survey. They recorded their perspectives about the influence of medical and social items. Sixteen questionnaire items were subdivided into three operational aspects: discharge, renewal, and recall. Medical item averages scored significantly higher as influences than social items, (medical items mean = 4.43; social items mean = 3.58; t= -19.38, p=0.001). The influence of separate medical and social factors was evidenced by exploratory factor analysis when related to discharge and renewal, but not for recall, where items divided into factors that resembled 'risk' and 'disengagement'. Participants' scores showed no statistically significant difference for a practitioner's professional allegiance. The findings demonstrate that social influences are a homogeneous influence on managing CTOs, in addition to the higher scoring influence of medical factors.