The impact of court-ordered psychiatric treatment on hospital length of stay: balancing legal and clinical concerns.

Among 521 psychiatric inpatients, approximately 11% were mandated to receive interventions/procedures by the courts. Court-ordered legal procedures were strongly associated with longer LOS. Mental health providers may consider legal procedures for patients at high treatment/medication noncompliance risk as early as patient admission to inpatient units to prevent, intervene or prepare for a longer or prolonged LOS.