• N. Z. Med. J. · Feb 1999

    Police perceptions of the mental health services and the mentally ill.

    • K Dew and S Badger.
    • Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Victoria University of Wellington.
    • N. Z. Med. J. 1999 Feb 12; 112 (1081): 36-8.

    AimTo explore police officers' perceptions of the mentally ill and of their working relationship with mental health services.MethodA survey of 200 randomly selected front-line police officers was carried out over the summer of 1996/1997.ResultsThe survey revealed that police identified people in the community as mentally ill, dealt with those so identified and related to the mental health services in a variety of ways. However, the survey uncovered a degree of frustration at the limitations of the Mental Health Act 1992 and the limited options available to the police in cases where individuals can not be committed. In addition, the survey suggests that many incidents involving the police and a person with a mental illness do not involve crime.ConclusionsAlthough the police are generally happy with the dealings they have with providers of mental health services, when police are dealing with those identified as mentally ill they are placed in the dilemma of having to liaise with other agencies and bodies about something that is not a police problem and for which they have little training. It would appear that there is some merit in identifying, or lobbying for, agencies who could provide support for those people who require help but who do not fulfil committal criteria.

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