How Do Police Officers Experience Interactions with People with Mental Illness?

Wittmann, Linus; Jörns-Presentati, Astrid; Groen, Gunter

doi:10.1007/s11896-020-09398-8

Cited by 20 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Fourth, the present study comprised a relatively small sample size. We cannot rule out a selection bias, however another recent German study showed comparable sociodemographic characteristics of the police officers sample (Wittmann et al, 2021c). In addition, the sample size is sufficient considering the explorative character of the study.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…There is a large body of research examining interactions between police forces and individuals with a mental health condition (Vigours and Quy, 2017). Previous research examined the frequency (Livingston, 2016), circumstances (Charette et al, 2014), and the subjective experience of affected individuals (Livingston et al, 2014b;Soares and Pinto da Costa, 2019) as well as involved police officers in these interactions (Wittmann et al, 2021c). Additionally, there are studies suggesting that police officers regularly encounter individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) or emotionally unstable personality disorders (EUPD; Resnick et al, 2000;Kesic et al, 2013;Jones and Thomas, 2019;O'Neal, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Police Officers’ Ability in Recognizing Relevant Mental Health Conditions

et al. 2021

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The recognition of certain mental health conditions is important as this requires police officers to communicate and behave in an adjusted manner with affected individuals. The objective of the present study was to test police officers’ knowledge about mental health symptoms as a component of their mental health literacy (MHL) and to examine if police officers’ perceived knowledge corresponds with their actual knowledge. A questionnaire was used to assess for MHL representing mental health conditions which occur frequently in police requests (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and emotionally unstable personality disorder). Furthermore, the questionnaire assessed the frequency of police requests, the officers’ perceived knowledge regarding mental disorders and their sense of feeling sufficiently trained to deal with these kinds of requests. Eighty-two police officers participated in the study. Police officers’ actual knowledge about mental health conditions did not correspond with their perceived knowledge. Participants revealed a moderately high level of overall knowledge which differed with regard to symptoms of each of the five mental health conditions. The mental status of a paranoid schizophrenia was best identified by the police officers and the majority correctly allocated the symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorders and manic episodes were only identified by a minority of police offers. Police training geared to prepare for requests involving individuals with mental disorders should expand this limited knowledge transfer and focus on a broader variety of mental health conditions that police officers frequently encounter in requests.

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Police Officers’ Ability in Recognizing Relevant Mental Health Conditions

et al. 2021

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“…Those with mental illness are more likely to be victimized rather than engage in violence (Burczcka 2018 ; Desmarais et al 2014b ). A far superior predictor of violence is co-occurring substance use (Van Dorn et al 2012 ; Swanson et al 2015 ). Intoxication may serve as a trigger to mental health crisis incidents (Short et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing Community Co-designed Scenario-Based Training for Police Mental Health Crisis Response: a Relational Policing Approach to De-escalation

Lavoie

Alvarez

Kandil

2022

J Police Crim Psych

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Using the current empirical landscape of police responses to people in mental health crisis as a backdrop, this methods paper makes an argument for the central role of collaborative co-design and production by diverse community experts and stakeholders to build transformative specialized training for frontline officers. Subject matter experts (SMEs) from across key domains participated in focus groups and curriculum creation, with outputs being the co-development of a conceptual approach and an innovative experiential learning training program. Part 1 unpacks the team’s conceptual development of a relational policing approach. This humanized method is shaped by procedural justice, trauma-informed, person-centred, and cultural safety frameworks. Part 2 details the co-production of a novel problem-based training method for a police service in Southern Ontario, Canada. The program centres on the acquisition of core competencies related to relational policing, de-escalation, and mental health crisis response. The training was designed to bring learners through a spectrum of authentic crisis scenarios: from observer-participant scenarios informed by Forum Theatre methods and targeted SME feedback to a range of high-fidelity assessment simulations that test officers’ abilities to effectively communicate, de-escalate, and make decisions under stress. This program offers repeated opportunities for officers to practice alternative crisis management strategies in scenarios that might otherwise result in the use of force.

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“…Within our approach to this issue, maximizing the acceptance and ensuring the feasibility of training program contents in the eyes of trainees were two main pre-conditions, which we addressed by considering the target group's own training needs and knowledge gaps. Several studies have already pointed out the perspectives of police officers on their interactions with PMI ( 6 , 14 – 16 ), as well as the aspects of frequencies ( 6 ), perceived danger and unpredictability ( 15 , 17 ), and the consequences of lacking mental health literacy or communication skills ( 18 , 19 ). Taking this into account, Thomas and Watson ( 3 ) suggest: “Training should be practical, applied and reinforced.” In our opinion, this paradigm should guide empirically-based approaches to training designs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing Mental Health Literacy in Law Enforcement to Improve Best Practices in Policing—Introduction of an Empirically Derived, Modular, Differentiated, and End-User Driven Training Design

Lorey

Fegert

2021

Front. Psychiatry

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Objective: Law enforcement officers often have contact to persons who show symptoms of mental disorders. Adequately designed training is necessary for developing the best possible practices in policing when coming into contact with mentally ill people, and may help to expand their general knowledge on mental disorders. To achieve a sustainable implementation of training content in daily policing work, the acceptance and proactive integration of methods by the training participants is essential.Method: This study investigates an exemplary modular training curriculum based on a survey with 2,228 German police officers (28.2% female, 71.8% male) concerning their needs and challenges when coming into contact with persons with mental disorders. This empirical end-user driven approach was used to adapt existing training concepts to the current needs and interests of law enforcement personnel in order to maximize compliance.Results: The training program draft includes basic modules which are intended to be of direct interest to all police officers, such as mental disorders with high policing relevance, encountering suicidal patients, (non-directive) communication and de-escalation skills, and mental hygiene in policing. They are arranged in more specialized modules that address specific target group audiences within police forces and the training curriculum provides information about genuine risks and self-protection, trauma sensitivity, and interaction with children and victims among other contents. The self-selectable, modular, and empirically-based continued training program also includes an introduction to local mental health service professionals and networks, trialogue sequences, and situational role play scenarios.Conclusion: Due to frequent contact law enforcement officers have to mentally ill people, improved training designed to maximize knowledge and the integration of trained methods is necessary. Gaining acceptance and proactive support by trainees is ensured through end-user driven implementation of specialized and differentiated up-to-date training programs. Our results showcase how police officers' perspectives on persons with mental illnesses is a main aspect that can and should be used to encourage training course designs.

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How Do Police Officers Experience Interactions with People with Mental Illness?

Cited by 20 publications

References 41 publications

Police Officers’ Ability in Recognizing Relevant Mental Health Conditions

Police Officers’ Ability in Recognizing Relevant Mental Health Conditions

Developing Community Co-designed Scenario-Based Training for Police Mental Health Crisis Response: a Relational Policing Approach to De-escalation

Increasing Mental Health Literacy in Law Enforcement to Improve Best Practices in Policing—Introduction of an Empirically Derived, Modular, Differentiated, and End-User Driven Training Design

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