As the number of mental health courts (MHC) expands across the United States, so does the body of research demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing criminal recidivism. While there has been considerable research conducted on MHC operations, less is known about how individuals decide to participate in MHCs. Data from in-depth interviews with 26 MHC participants from two MHCs in the United States were analyzed using grounded dimensional and thematic analyses. Results suggest that individuals participated in MHC to avoid incarceration and obtain treatment. Participants understood the court to function in four distinct ways: 1) to help through service provision, 2) to structure a judicial agreement allowing MHCs to make treatment decisions in exchange for community living, 3) to protect people from risks within the criminal justice system, and 4) to reward participants for treatment adherence. Findings can be used to guide the need for policy and practice for those referring to MHCs.

随着心理健康法庭 (MHC) 在美国的数量不断增加，证明其在减少刑事再犯方面的有效性的研究主体也在增加。虽然已经对 MHC 操作进行了大量研究，但人们对个人如何决定参与 MHC 的了解较少。对来自美国两个 MHC 的 26 名 MHC 参与者进行深入访谈的数据使用扎根维度和主题分析进行分析。结果表明，个人参与 MHC 以避免被监禁并获得治疗。参与者了解法院以四种不同的方式运作：1) 通过提供服务提供帮助，2) 制定司法协议，允许 MHC 做出治疗决定以换取社区生活，3) 保护人们免受刑事司法系统内的风险, 4) 奖励参与者的治疗依从性。调查结果可用于指导那些提及 MHC 的人对政策和实践的需求。