Research Paper on Mental Illness and Police Interactions: Challenges in American Health Care and Social Support

Introduction

There is an extensive notion that persons with mental illness are over-represented in police interactions and feature disproportionately at all stages of the criminal justice pathway (Livingston, 2016). For example, individuals with mental health problems have more propensity of getting apprehended than those without a mental health illness for crimes of the same penalties. The occurrence of these notions is used as a sign of widespread challenges in American health care and social support structures. In the UK and other nations, there have been attempts towards the "de-institutionalization" of individuals with mental disorders from the 1980s (Vigurs & Quy, n.d). It has meant that their treatment and support significantly occurs within society. In the context of prison cells, it has been approximated that over 70 percent of UK prisoners including those sentenced and on remand have at least a single mental health disease. Further, about 75 percent of all inmates in United Kingdom have a double diagnosis of mental health disorder that is caused by alcohol or drug abuse, which may further augment the likelihood of enhancing positive interaction with the criminal justice system (Vigurs & Quy, n.d). Additionally, it also increases the probability of relapse immediately after becoming acquitted and ensuing re-entry to the criminal justice system. The objective of this study is to estimate the frequency of police apprehensions among persons with psychological disorders, police interactions in pathways to mental health care, and police calls for rendering service to the people with mental illness. Several subtopics will be assessed on how to improve police response with people with psychological illnesses and how law enforcement responses can be improved through the implementation of expert training units.

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Literature Review and Analysis

One of the growing concerns among police agencies in America focuses on the appropriate private management of individuals with mental illness. The alleged upsurge in police interactions with people with mental illness has been recognized all over the mainstream media and the problems resulting from police interactions with these individuals (Engel, 2015). However, modern health care structure, social programs, and police mechanisms have been implemented in such a manner that interaction between persons with psychological illnesses and the police is unavoidable (Vigurs & Quy, n.d). Attending to mental health challenges, collaborating with eyewitnesses and victims of crime, looking for those who have escaped from inpatient and residential care and recognizing individuals with mental health disorders and linking them to services should be some of the current informal today's police responses (Vigurs & Quy, n.d).

The subtopics that will be addressed in the literature review section include; an empirical study of the contact between law enforcement agencies, and persons with psychological disorders, financial impacts of mental health illness on the criminal justice system, models of police response, and a multi-level conceptualization of CIT in an attempt to improve police response to people with mental disorders. Some of the concepts that will be used include an interagency partnership model for persons with mental ill-health in interaction with the law enforcement officers. Further, the sociological analysis that deconstructs the interactions of law enforcement officers with people with disabilities, and also police responses that can be used to reduce the rising rates of unfair arrests of people with disabilities than those without.

An Empirical Study Examining the Contact Between Police and Persons with Mental Disorders: A Review of Rates

The objective of the above study is to analyze the frequencies of police apprehensions amongst individuals with mental disorders, police involvement in pathways to psychiatric centers, and police calls for provision of services concerning people with mental illness. An organized review will be completed from 7 multidisciplinary datasets. Auxillary studies were recognized by assessing the reference lists of all included documentations, and by utilizing the "related articles", and "cited sources". The results show that 86 unique studies covering 329,470 cases met the inclusion conditions (Livingston, 2016). Data deconstructed in 21 articles showed that one in four persons with mental illness has past histories of police apprehensions (Livingston, 2016). The information from 47 studies specified that one in ten people have the law enforcement officers involved in their alleyway to mental health care. Finally, the datasets from 13 studies showed that one in 100 police dispatches and interactions involve people with psychological illnesses (Livingston, 2016).

Modern health care structures, social programs, and police enforcement concepts have been executed in such a way that interaction between persons with psychological disorders and the police is certain. Detailed results on police detentions of persons with mental ailment display that 25 percent of individuals with psychological illnesses have been arrested by police at some instances in their lifetime (Livingston, 2016). In regards to police interactions in pathways to mental health care, the entire outcomes reveal that approximately 15 percent of persons with mental disorders had the police involved in their access to mental health services (Livingston, 2016). On police quests for service encompassing people with mental illness, three studies affirmed that 1.2 percent of police response through provision of service involved individuals with mental disorders (Livingston, 2016). The overall findings affirm that one in four individuals with mental disorders have been subjected to police arrests, which is significantly higher than approximated rates among general adult populations in Canada, and the United Kingdom, whilst closely assessing the rates in the United States (Livingston, 2016). Finally, these results are important for understanding how local trends about police involvement in the lives of persons with mental illness compared with rates of police calls and arrests.

A Study of How People with Mental Disorder Perceive and Interact with the Police

Brick et al., (2012) argued that the majority of people with mental disorders do not commit criminal offenses, however, interaction with the law enforcement agencies was common among this population. The reasons persons with mental disorders encounter with the police are intricate but are typically ascribed to a clinical risk factor, such as the rampant tendency of drug abuse problems, and treatment non-compliance, and also social, and general features, such as improperly executed "deinstitutionalization" strategies, vagrancy, and poverty (Brick et al., 2012). The apparent risk of criminal ill-treatment connected to mental disorders also elevates the rate of police contact with individuals who have mental disorders. Progressively, law enforcement officers have assumed broadened functions of preserving social harmony and interacting with individuals undergoing mental health crises (Brick et al., 2012).

Law enforcement authorities are investing significant resources in programs, such as specialized police curricula and training, meant to enhance how police officers respond to and relate with persons who have mental disorders (Brick et al., 2012). One of the programs receiving considerable focus in the United States and Canada is the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, which encompasses training law enforcement officers in identifying and properly managing circumstances concerning people with psychological disorders and also developing partnerships with mental health agencies (Brick et al., 2012). The research shows that police officer trained in CIT display enhanced awareness, and knowledge, improved self-efficacy, reduced social distance and abridged stigmatizing perceptions (Brick et al., 2012). Other ways of enhancing police cognizance and contact with persons with mental disorders have demonstrated similar results regarding reducing social distance, and plummeting defaming attitudes of police. Contemporary, anti-stigma initiatives, such as education drives and interactive encounters with persons with mental disorders (Brick et al., 2012). These strategies have focused on police officers with the overall aim of concentrating on groups in positions of influence, and authority to alter their negative attitudes and prejudiced behaviors towards individuals with mental health illness (Brick et al., 2012).

The study aims to work with people who live with severe mental illness to enhance the identification of their acuities of and encounter with the law enforcement officers (Brick et al., 2012). The research approach will use an inclusive and collaborative research strategy since the topic focuses on sensitive subjects. The research observed the features of Participatory Action Research (PAR), as it is a process of involving the community members in the research. Brick et al., (2012) also employed the use of focus groups in their research. The significance of the focus groups was to involve people with mental disorders who have previously had a direct encounter with the police in the research development process. In a study of 254 people with the first case of Schizophrenia demonstrated that 22 percent had a history of police contacts (Brick et al., 2012). Another Canadian study of 103 newly admitted persons to inpatient and societal psychiatric facilities discovered that 66 percent had a history of police contact that involved being suspected of a misconduct (Brick et al., 2012). The research also proposes the following inclinations; several violent arrests are common among persons with a mental disorder who have a history of arrests.

Brick et al., (2012) implied that the law enforcement officers became the primary means of transporting individuals with mental disorders to hospitals. In entirety, the results suggest that 30 percent of persons with mental disease have a history of police involved in their care alleyway with high frequency oscillating from 16 to 53 percent (Brick et al., 2012). On psychiatric hospital referrals, the research shows that 14 percent of referrals to emergency psychiatric inpatient care involves the law enforcement officers, with the frequencies ranging from 2 to 30 percent of all referrals (Brick et al., 2012).

Improving Police Response to People with Mental Disorders: A Multi-Level Conceptualization of CIT

The approach of this study is to concentrate on police response in these circumstances through Crisis Intervention Teams. CIT programs are designed to improve law enforcement officers' abilities to successfully, deferentially and securely encounter with people with psychological disorders, and afterward, dissuade more of them far from the criminal justice system and to mental health services. The research shows that up to 6 percent of people perceived as suspects by police have a serious mental disorder. Average and large police departments approximate that 10 percent of their interaction with the public include peoples with mental illness. Furthermore, police officers generally consume more time concentrating with a mental disorder more than they spend on police calls after traffic accidents, or assaults. Law enforcement officers report these situations as challenging since people with a mental disorder may not react appropriately well to traditional police methods.

On results of police interactions with persons with mental disorders. Watson et al., (2008) argued out that t...