Background: The implementation of the Community Treatment Order (CTO) has created controversy surrounding its beneficence.
Aims: The study aims at examining the effectiveness of the CTO in reducing the rate and duration of revolving door admissions for patients who were made subject to this Order.
Method: All patients who were made subject to CTO between November 2008 and August 2009 in South Essex were involved in the study where patients acted as their own control through comparing their pre-CTO, during CTO and post-CTO's admission rate and duration.
Results: There was a significant reduction in the rate and duration of admissions in the period during and post-CTO state.
Conclusions: The CTO proved to be effective in reducing revolving door admissions and it has a beneficial carryover effect in the post-CTO state.