Abstract
Background
The Mental Health Act (2014) (the Act) Victoria provided for compulsory treatment with specified criteria. Also, within the Act is provision for advance statements, an instrument that is aimed to support advance care planning, should a person become a patient under the Act. To date, uptake has been poor for advance statements and little literature is available that explores direct experiences of these instruments for consumers, when they become compulsory patients under the Act.
Method
This study undertook in depth interviews and an online survey to explore consumers’ direct experiences of using advance statements in Victoria. Four interviews were conducted in 2020, and 86 consumers responded to an online survey.
Results
Many survey respondents had good experiences with advance statements, and the results were also consistent with other research identifying that many of the advance statements were consenting documents, although some issues remained with locating the advance statement and identifying the most beneficial staff members to notify. Analysis of the interviews identified 4 main themes in people’s experiences. Advance Statements are not often read, there are many factors that determine whether they are effective or not, advocacy is still important even with the presence of an advance statement and finally, consumers often have to adjust their expectations. Consumers also offered suggestions on how the uptake and utilisation of advance statements could be improved.
Conclusion
This study identifies some experiences of consumers with Advance Statements being effective and non-effective, depending on a range of circumstances. With greater understanding of the utility of Advance Statements, and better resourcing of supported decision-making mechanisms, there is potential for Advance Statements to contribute to an improved experience for consumers in mental health services.