People with Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Policing Interventions

Individuals with mental health (MH) problems, whether diagnosed or not, fare poorly in the justice system (Pettitt et al, At risk, yet dismissed: The criminal victimisation of people with mental health problems. Victim Support, Mind, London, 2013). Police officers and staff often manage the critical gateway that determines whether an individual experiencing MH problems enters the justice system or not. While courts and prisons offer later opportunities for diversion, this initial interaction can be the most critical and merits a well-designed, comprehensive review of the literature. This chapter presents the results of a systematic review of policing interventions or service models with individuals with suspected MH problems involved in offending or creating public safety concerns. It considers their organization and effectiveness and concludes that rather than one approach being more effective than another, there is a need for a multifaceted approach within a structured and integrated model, such as the Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs) approach used in the USA. This is generally not the current pattern of interventions, and policymakers, service commissioners and providers may wish to review future options.