A Factor Analysis of Patients’ Views of Compulsory Community Treatment Orders: The Factors Associated with Detention

Abstract

Quantitative analysis of patients’ views about compulsory community treatment has not been undertaken although qualitative analysis identifies some positive and negative themes. This research is designed to identify the factor structure of patients’ subjective experience of community detention in a quantitative fashion. The authors assessed 79 psychiatric patients either currently or previously detained under a compulsory community treatment order for in excess of 6 months. A structured questionnaire was used to assess patients’ views of community detention and exploratory factor analysis was performed. Principal component analysis with oblique rotation identified three factors associated with detention. Although overlapping, these factors represent interpersonal difficulties, intrapsychic threat and a safety factor associated with detention. The safety factor also loaded for unhappiness. These factors accounted for 60% of the variance in the data set. Recognizing these factors may improve the use of community treatment orders and make them more acceptable to patients.

Key words:

• community treatment orders
• factor analysis
• mental health legislation
• patient acceptance of health care

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the support of Whatever it Takes (WIT) for their assistance in data collection and the initial statistical support of James Stanley in assisting with the dataset.