Community treatment orders: the experiences of Non-Maori and Maori within mainstream and Maori mental health services

Abstract

Community treatment orders (CTOs) are sometimes used to coerce patients into treatment on the basis that such treatment is in their best interest. The experiences of Maori, New Zealand's indigenous ethnic minority are less well known and this paper compares the views of Maori and non-Maori about CTOs. Patients with experience of CTOs for greater than 6 months participated. Self-report measures were used to identify patients' views of compulsory treatment. Demographic data, heath service characteristics, the experience of coercion, views of compulsory community treatment, satisfaction with care, social functioning, and psychopathology were assessed. There were few differences in demographic or clinical characteristics between Maori and non-Maori. There were no differences in the views of Maori compared to non-Maori patients with respect to compulsory community treatment. There were no differences in the views of Maori cared for by mainstream compared to culturally specialist Maori mental health service. In a well-established system of compulsory treatment, there is no evidence of greater negative impact of CTOs in an indigenous minority population. The opportunity for Maori to self-select between mainstream and specialist Maori mental health services may minimize the negative aspects of compulsory community treatment for Maori.