Voluntariness of Treatment, Mental Health Service Utilization, and Quality of Life Among Mental Health Court Participants

Although research has indicated that mental health court (MHC) participation is associated with positive criminal justice outcomes, it remains unclear whether and how MHC participation may improve participants' quality of life (QOL). Utilizing MacArthur MHC study data (357 MHC and 348 traditional court participants), we explored the relationships among MHC participation, perceived voluntariness of treatment (VOL), mental health services utilization, and QOL. Our path analysis found that MHC participation was negatively related to VOL. In addition, VOL was positively related to service utilization, but service utilization was unrelated to QOL. Perceived voluntariness mediated the relationship between MHC participation and QOL. Because VOL was associated with QOL for both MHC participants and traditional court participants, implications include the need for a reevaluation of community supervision processes to increase VOL, with the aim of increasing QOL among those with mental illness living under community supervision. Because participation in MHC was associated with low VOL, MHC participants could benefit substantially from such efforts.