Community treatment orders: learning from experience of service users, practitioners and nearest relatives

Background: The effectiveness of Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) has been examinedpreviously. However, few studies have explored the significance of service user and practitionerunderstandings.Aims: The study explored the experiences of service users, practitioners and nearest relatives,to identify key factors and good practice in relation to CTOs.Method: A study of CTOs in a mental health NHS Trust in Southern England, including 72 semistructuredinterviews, analysed thematically.Results: CTOs were perceived as helpful in certain circumstances for the ‘‘right'' service user.Factors influencing effectiveness included recognition of the containing elements of the CTO,a respect for its legal authority and an acceptance of conditions.Conclusions: The perceptions of service users have an important role in determining the valueand potential effectiveness of CTOs. A consideration of these issues should be integral to theprocess of assessing whether a CTO is appropriate in individual case