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Laureano CD, Laranjeira C, Querido A, Dixe MA, Rego F. Ethical Issues in Clinical Decision-Making about Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment: A Scoping Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:445. [PMID: 38391820 PMCID: PMC10888148 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12040445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In mental health and psychiatric care, the use of involuntary psychiatric treatment for people with mental disorders is still a central and contentious issue. The main objective of this scoping review was to map and systematize the literature on ethical issues in clinical decision-making about involuntary psychiatric treatment. Five databases (Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Medline, and Scopus) were searched for articles on this topic. Out of a total of 342 articles found, 35 studies from 14 countries were included based on the selection criteria. The articles were analyzed using the inductive content analysis approach. The following main categories were identified: (1) ethical foundations that guide clinical decision-making; (2) criteria for involuntary psychiatric treatment; (3) gaps, barriers, and risks associated with involuntary psychiatric treatment; (4) strategies used to reduce, replace, and improve the negative impact of involuntary treatment; and (5) evidence-based recommendations. Most of the selected articles discuss the logic underlying involuntary treatment of the mentally ill, exploring ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, or justice, as well as how these should be properly balanced. During the process of involuntary psychiatric admission, there was a notable absence of effective communication and a significant power imbalance that disenfranchised those seeking services. This disparity was further intensified by professionals who often use coercive measures without a clear decision-making rationale and by family members who strongly depend on hospital admission. Due to the pluralistic and polarized nature of opinions regarding legal capacity and the complexity and nuance of involuntary admission, further studies should be context-specific and based on co-production and participatory research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudio Domingos Laureano
- Psychiatric and Mental Health Service, Local Health Unit of the Leiria Region-Hospital of Santo André, Rua das Olhalvas, 2410-197 Leiria, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André-66-68, Campus 5, 13 Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
| | - Carlos Laranjeira
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André-66-68, Campus 5, 13 Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2-Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro-Apart. 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), University of Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal
| | - Ana Querido
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André-66-68, Campus 5, 13 Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2-Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro-Apart. 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
- Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), NursID, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Anjos Dixe
- Centre for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare), Rua de Santo André-66-68, Campus 5, 13 Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2410-541 Leiria, Portugal
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic University of Leiria, Campus 2-Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro-Apart. 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
| | - Francisca Rego
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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Baminiwatta A, Alahakoon H, Herath NC, Kodithuwakku KM, Nanayakkara T. Trait Mindfulness, Compassion, and Stigma Towards Patients with Mental Illness: A Study Among Nurses in Sri Lanka. Mindfulness (N Y) 2023; 14:979-991. [PMID: 37090854 PMCID: PMC10031165 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-023-02108-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Stigma towards persons with mental illness is widespread. Mindfulness may protect against stigma by cultivating accepting attitudes, non-reactivity, and prosocial emotions. This study aimed to assess whether higher trait mindfulness among nurses was linked to lower stigma towards psychiatric patients, and whether compassion mediated this relationship. Method In this cross-sectional study among nurses in four tertiary care hospitals in Sri Lanka, stigma towards psychiatric patients was assessed using the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-9), which assesses nine separate domains of stigma. The 20-item Six-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the 5-item Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale were used to assess mindfulness and compassion, respectively. Correlations among these variables were explored. Mediation analyses were performed. Results A total of 405 nurses (90.6% female, mean age = 39.6 years) participated in the study. Those with higher trait mindfulness were more likely to believe they would help a person with mental illness, and less likely to believe a person with mental illness should be avoided or segregated from the society. Compassion was inversely correlated with avoidance and anger, and positively correlated with pity, helping, and coercion domains. Trait mindfulness was positively correlated with compassion. Mediation models revealed that compassion partially mediated the effects of trait mindfulness on helping and avoidance. Facet-level analyses revealed significant effects of describing, non-reactivity, and observing on several stigma domains mediated through compassion. Conclusions Trait mindfulness among nurses appears to have a direct buffering effect against several domains of stigma towards psychiatric patients and significant indirect effects through compassion, albeit with small effect sizes. Preregistration This study is not pre-registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Baminiwatta
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Namal C. Herath
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka
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Jager F, Perron A. The social utility of community treatment orders: Applying Girard's mimetic theory to community-based mandated mental health care. Nurs Philos 2019; 21:e12280. [PMID: 31441197 DOI: 10.1111/nup.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Serious mental illness (SMI) has long posed a dilemma to society. The use of community treatment orders (CTOs), a legal means by which to deliver mandated psychiatric treatment to individuals while they live in the community, is a contemporary technique for managing SMI. CTOs (or a similar legal mechanism) are used in every province in Canada and in many jurisdictions around the world in the care and management of clients with severe and persistent mental illness (most frequently schizophrenia) who have a history of treatment non-compliance and subsequent relapse. Although there is ongoing controversy around CTOs, their use continues to be on the rise. René Girard's mimetic theory, in which he posits the social utility of the scapegoat mechanism, may shed some light on how established cultural patterns contribute to contemporary responses to SMI: how culture depends on the reproduction of certain narratives, and how these act to shape the identity of those involved. The CTO specifically can be seen to act as a scapegoating mechanism, wherein, by singling out and controlling individuals who appear to threaten social order, social order is restored. This paper reviews Girard's theory, looks at how it has been applied to SMI, and then considers how it may illuminate the social role of the CTO. This examination may provide mental health nurses with insight into the constructed identities of their patients, as well as the role of mental health care within broader cultural narratives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Jager
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Amélie Perron
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Ring D, Lawn S. Stigma perpetuation at the interface of mental health care: a review to compare patient and clinician perspectives of stigma and borderline personality disorder. J Ment Health 2019:1-21. [PMID: 30862201 DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2019.1581337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience significant stigma, particularly at the interface of care delivery. AIMS To compare and contrast what stigma looks like within mental health care contexts, from the perspective of patients and mental health professionals (MHPs) and how it is perpetuated at the interface of care. METHOD A review of the literature was undertaken to compare the experiences of stigma towards BPD from the patient and MHP perspective by thematically analysing the results from empirical studies exploring their experiences. RESULTS Thirty studies were found; 12 on patients perspectives and 18 on clinicians perspectives. Six themes arose from the thematic synthesis: (1) stigma related to diagnosis and disclosure; (2) perceived un-treatability; (3) stigma as a response to feeling powerless; (4) stigma due to preconceptions of patients; (5) low BPD health literacy and (6) overcoming stigma through enhanced empathy. A conceptual framework for explaining the perpetuation of stigma and BPD is proposed. CONCLUSION Stigma towards people with BPD is perpetuated through poor BPD health literacy by patients and MHPs that stalls effective treatment and engagement, and disempowers all concerned, deferring responsibility to others. Addressing this stigma requires multiple strategies that include more targeted education, advocacy and leadership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ring
- a College of Medicine and Public Health , Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia
- b Department of Psychiatry , Margaret Tobin Centre Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia
| | - Sharon Lawn
- a College of Medicine and Public Health , Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia
- b Department of Psychiatry , Margaret Tobin Centre Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia
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Brophy L, Kokanovic R, Flore J, McSherry B, Herrman H. Community Treatment Orders and Supported Decision-Making. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:414. [PMID: 31244699 PMCID: PMC6580382 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents findings from an interdisciplinary project undertaken in Victoria, Australia, investigating the barriers and facilitators to supported decision-making (SDM) for people living with diagnoses including schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and severe depression; family members supporting them; and mental health practitioners, including psychiatrists. We considered how SDM can be used to align Australian laws and practice with international human rights obligations. The project examined the experiences, views, and preferences of consumers of mental health services, including people with experiences of being on Community Treatment Orders (CTOs), in relation to enabling SDM in mental health service delivery. It also examined the perspectives of informal family members or carers and mental health practitioners. Victoria currently has high rates of use of CTOs, and the emphasis on SDM in the Mental Health Act, 2014, is proposed as one method for reducing coercion within the mental health system and working towards more recovery-oriented practice. Our findings cautiously suggest that SDM may contribute to reducing the use of CTOs, encouraging less use of coercive practices, and improving the experience of people who are subject to these orders, through greater respect for their views and preferences. Nonetheless, the participants in our study expressed an often ambivalent stance towards CTOs. In particular, the emphasis on medication as the primary treatment option and the limited communication about distressing side effects, alongside lack of choice of medication, was a primary source of concern. Fears, particularly among staff, about the risk of harm to self and others, and stigma attached to complex mental health conditions experienced by consumers and their families, represent important overarching concerns in the implementation of CTOs. Supporting the decision-making of people on CTOs, respecting their views and preferences about treatment, and moving towards reducing the use of CTOs require system-wide transformation and a significant shift in values and practice across mental health service delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Brophy
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University.,Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Mind Australia, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Renata Kokanovic
- Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jacinthe Flore
- Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Bernadette McSherry
- Melbourne Social Equity Institute and Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen Herrman
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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McMillan J, Lawn S, Delany-Crowe T. Trust and Community Treatment Orders. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:349. [PMID: 31164842 PMCID: PMC6536151 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There are conflicting views about the benefits of community treatment orders (CTOs) for people with mental illness. While there is a significant literature on the coercive nature of CTOs, there is less on the impact that CTOs have upon trust. A recovery-oriented approach requires a trusting therapeutic relationship and the coercion inherent in the CTO process may make it difficult for trust to be built, nurtured, and sustained between workers and patients. Our aim was therefore to examine the role of trust within the CTO experience for mental health workers and patients on CTOs. Methods: We conducted a thematic discourse analysis of 8 in-depth interviews with people who were currently on a CTO and 10 interviews with multi-disciplinary mental health workers in Adelaide, Australia (total N = 18 interviews). The interviews were coded and analyzed with the assistance of a patient representative. The findings reveal the challenges and opportunities for trust within the coercive relationship of a CTO. Findings: We found that patients have diverse experiences of CTOs and that trust or mistrust played an import role in whether or not they found the CTO beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- John McMillan
- Bioethics Centre, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sharon Lawn
- Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Toni Delany-Crowe
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Jager F, Perron A. Caring as Coercion: Exploring the Nurse's Role in Mandated Treatment. JOURNAL OF FORENSIC NURSING 2018; 14:148-153. [PMID: 30130315 DOI: 10.1097/jfn.0000000000000207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
When nurses work in environments that have overlapping medical, legal, institutional, social, and therapeutic priorities, nursing care can become an effective tool in advancing the competing goals of these multiple systems. During the provision of patient care, nurses manage the tensions inherent in the competing priorities of these different systems, and skillful nursing can have the effect of rendering these tensions invisible. This puts nurses in an ethically complex position, where on one hand, their humanizing empathy has the potential to improve the delivery and effect of mandated care yet, on the other hand, their skillfulness can render invisible the weaknesses in medicolegal structures. In this article, we present a composite case study as a vehicle to illustrate the way this dilemma manifests in day-to-day nursing interactions and explore the potential of microethics to inform the everyday decisions of nurses delivering care-as-coercion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Jager
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
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Benoit C, Belle-Isle L, Smith M, Phillips R, Shumka L, Atchison C, Jansson M, Loppie C, Flagg J. Sex workers as peer health advocates: community empowerment and transformative learning through a Canadian pilot program. Int J Equity Health 2017; 16:160. [PMID: 28854930 PMCID: PMC5577770 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-017-0655-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social marginalization and criminalization create health and safety risks for sex workers and reduce their access to health promotion and prevention services compared to the general population. Community empowerment-based interventions that prioritize the engagement of sex workers show promising results. Peer-to-peer interventions, wherein sex workers act as educators of their colleagues, managers, clients and romantic partners, foster community mobilization and critical consciousness among sex workers and equip them to exercise agency in their work and personal lives. Methods A pilot peer health education program was developed and implemented, with and for sex workers in one urban centre in Canada. To explore how the training program contributed to community empowerment and transformative learning among participants, the authors conducted qualitative interviews, asked participants to keep personal journals and to fill out feedback forms after each session. Thematic analysis was conducted on these three data sources, with emerging themes identified, organized and presented in the findings. Results Five themes emerged from the analysis. Our findings show that the pilot program led to reduced internalized stigma and increased self-esteem in participants. Participants’ critical consciousness increased concerning issues of diversity in cultural background, sexual orientation, work experiences and gender identity. Participants gained knowledge about how sex work stigma is enacted and perpetuated. They also became increasingly comfortable challenging negative judgments from others, including frontline service providers. Participants were encouraged to actively shape the training program, which fostered positive relationships and solidarity among them, as well as with colleagues in their social network and with the local sex worker organization housing the program. Resources were also mobilized within the sex worker community through skills building and knowledge acquisition. Conclusion The peer education program proved successful in enhancing sex workers’ community empowerment in one urban setting by increasing their knowledge about health issues, sharing information about and building confidence in accessing services, and expanding capacity to disseminate this knowledge to others. This ‘proof of concept’ built the foundation for a long-term initiative in this setting and has promise for other jurisdictions wishing to adapt similar programs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12939-017-0655-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Benoit
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada. .,Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
| | - Lynne Belle-Isle
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Canadian AIDS Society, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Michaela Smith
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Rachel Phillips
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Peers Victoria Resource Society, Victoria, Canada
| | - Leah Shumka
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Peers Victoria Resource Society, Victoria, Canada
| | - Chris Atchison
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Mikael Jansson
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.,Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Charlotte Loppie
- Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Jackson Flagg
- Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
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Dawson S, Lawn S, Simpson A, Muir-Cochrane E. Care planning for consumers on community treatment orders: an integrative literature review. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:394. [PMID: 27832769 PMCID: PMC5105250 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-1107-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Case management is the established model for care provision in mental health and is delivered within current care philosophies of person-centred and recovery-oriented care. The fact that people with a mental illness may be forced to receive care and treatment in the community poses challenges for clinicians aiming to engage in approaches that promote shared decision-making and self-determination. This review sought to gain an in-depth understanding of stakeholders' perspectives and experiences of care planning for consumers' on CTOs. METHODS An integrative review method allowed for inclusion of a broad range of studies from diverse empirical sources. Systematic searches were conducted across six databases. Following appraisal, findings from included papers were coded into groups and presented against a framework of case management. RESULTS Forty-eight papers were included in the review. Empirical studies came from seven countries, with the majority reporting on qualitative methods. Many similarities were reported across studies. Positive gains from CTOs were usually associated with the nature of support received, highlighting the importance of the therapeutic relationship in care planning. Key gaps in care planning included a lack of connection between CTO, treatment and consumer goals and lack of implementation of focussed interventions. CONCLUSIONS Current case management processes could be better utilised for consumers on CTOs, with exploration of how this could be achieved warranted. Workers need to be sensitive to the 'control and care' dynamic in the care planning relationship, with person-centred approaches requiring core and advanced practitioner and communication skills, including empathy and trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Dawson
- School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, Australia.
| | - Sharon Lawn
- School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Alan Simpson
- School of Health Sciences, Nursing, City University London, London, UK
| | - Eimear Muir-Cochrane
- School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001, Australia
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Lawn S, Delany T, Pulvirenti M, Smith A, McMillan J. Examining the use of metaphors to understand the experience of community treatment orders for patients and mental health workers. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:82. [PMID: 27030136 PMCID: PMC4815077 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-0791-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) are often complex because of the ethical tensions created by an intervention that aims at promoting the patient's good through an inherently coercive process. There is limited research that examines the complexity of CTOs and how patients on CTOs and workers administering CTOs make sense of their experiences. METHODS The study involved in-depth interviews with 8 patients on CTOs and 10 community mental health workers in South Australia, to explore how they constructed their experiences of CTOs. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used to analyse the data, supported by NVIVO software. RESULTS Analysis of the interviews revealed that patients and workers experienced the CTO process as multi-dimensional, including some positive as well as more negative constructions. The positive metaphor of CTOs as a safety net is described, followed by a more detailed description of the metaphors of power and control as the dominant themes, with five sub-themes of the CTO as control, wake-up, punishment, surveillance, and tranquiliser. DISCUSSION Metaphors are a way that mental health patients and mental health workers articulate the nature of CTOs. The language used to construct these metaphors was quite different, with patients overwhelmingly experiencing and perceiving CTOs as coercive (that is, punishing, controlling and scrutinizing), whereas workers tended to perceive them as necessary, beneficial and supportive, despite their coerciveness. CONCLUSIONS By acknowledging the role of metaphors in these patients' lives, workers could enhance opportunities to engage these patients in more meaningful dialogue about their personal experiences as an alternative to practice predominantly focused on risk. Such a dialogue could enhance workers' reflection on their work and promote recovery-based practice. More understanding of how to promote autonomy, capacity and supported decision-making, and how to address the impacts of coercion within care, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Lawn
- Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Flinders University, Room 4 T306 Margaret Tobin Centre, PO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia.
| | - Toni Delany
- Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Ann Smith
- C/o Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - John McMillan
- The Bioethics Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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