BackgroundIndividuals with schizophrenia who are involuntarily admitted may have poorer prognosis, including higher readmission rates, than those voluntarily admitted. However, little is known about the risk factors for readmission in those schizophrenia patients who are involuntarily admitted.AimsWe aim to explore the risk factors for readmission in this population.MethodWe enrolled 138 schizophrenia patients with involuntary admission from July 2008 to June 2013 and followed those patients for readmission outcomes at 3 months and at 1 year.ResultsThe one-year and 3-months readmission rates were 33.3% and 15.2%, respectively. Unmarried status (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 6.28, 95% CI: 1.48–26.62), previous history of involuntary admission (aOR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.19–14.02), longer involuntary admission days (aOR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07) and shorter total admission days (aOR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05) were associated with increased risk for 1-year readmission. Younger age (aOR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.18) was associated with increased risk for 3-months readmission.ConclusionsUnmarried status, prior history of involuntary admission, longer involuntary admission days and shorter total admission days were associated with increased risk for 1-year readmission. Healthcare providers may need to focus on patients with these risk factors to reduce subsequent readmissions.