Police perceptions and contact among people with mental illnesses: Comparisons with a general population survey.

Abstract

Though studies have surveyed police officers’ perceptions of people with mental illnesses (PMI), few have examined perceptions held by PMI regarding the police, and none have compared them with those held by the general population. This study sought to (a) examine perceptions of police held by PMI, (b) compare them to perceptions held by the general population, and (c) explore whether differences between PMI and general population perceptions are attributable to contact with the police in the past year. We drew data from a survey of 244 PMI and the 2009 Canadian General Social Survey (GSS) (Brennan, 2011). Both surveys administered the same items querying perceptions of and contact with the police in the prior 12 months. GSS participants were individually matched to PMI participants on sociodemographic characteristics (n = 225 per group). Overall, participants held fairly positive perceptions of the police, but perceptions held by GSS participants were more positive than those held by PMI participants. PMI participants were more likely than GSS participants to have contact with the police in the prior 12 months. In multivariate models, perceptions differed between PMI and GSS participants for police performance in being approachable and treating people fairly, and overall confidence in police; police contact was not associated with perceptions nor did it moderate effects of participant group. Consistent with the procedural justice framework, fair and equitable treatment appears to be of primary relevance to PMI perceptions of the police. Further efforts are needed to improve PMI perceptions of the police in these areas.

Mental Health in the UK Police Force: a Qualitative Investigation into the Stigma with Mental Illness

“…Much has been reported about workplace stress (Alexopoulos et al 2014;Kotera et al 2018a;Morash et al 2006;Violanti et al 2016), and in regard to policing, a variety of research within the last 20 years has focussed on law enforcement's perception of mental health in the community (Desmarais et al 2014;Lamb et al 2002;Soomro and Yanos 2018;Watson et al 2014;Wood et al 2017); however, the occupational psychological distress of police officers has received little attention in the research literature. Frequent exposure to operational stressors has the potential to significantly affect the psychological functioning of police officers (Marchand et al 2015).…”

A pilot study exploring mental health consumers’ experiences with the police

“…For example, Wales, Hiday, and Ray (2010) found that procedurally just treatment from the judge in mental health court proceedings was associated with a positive appraisal of the process and a reduced risk of recidivism. More recent research has extended this procedural justice lens more specifically to considering encounters between the police and people experiencing mental illness, with some recent international research reporting that when people experiencing mental illness feel they have been treated in a procedurally just way they are likely to perceive the encounter as positive and to co-operate with police officers (Livingstone, Desmarais, Verdun-Jones et al 2014;Watson & Angell, 2013;Watson, Angell, et al, 2008).…”

“…Given the topicality of police encounters with people experiencing mental illness, it is perhaps surprising that only seven international published studies to date have looked at their views of encounters with police and overall attitudes to the police (Desmarais et al, 2014;Jones & Mason, 2002;Livingstone, Desmarais, Verdun-Jones et al, 2014;Livingstone, Desmarais, Greaves et al 2014;Watson & Angell, 2013;Watson, Angell, et al, 2008;Watson et al, 2010). This literature suggests that people experiencing mental illness have a largely negative perception of police officers and overall are dissatisfied with their encounters with the police (Desmarais et al, 2014). The importance of fair treatment from police officers emerged as a key theme from all seven studies.…”

“…The views of police officers towards encounters with people experiencing mental illness have been subject to much empirical investigation, with international research noting the importance of officer perceptions in shaping both the nature of the encounter and subsequent outcomes (Godfredson et al, 2011;Patch & Arrigo, 1999;Watson, Swartz, Bohrman, Kriegel, & Draine, 2014). However, the attitudes and opinions of people experiencing mental illness have been largely overlooked in the published literature, with very few articles to date investigating their perceptions of police and police encounters that they experience (Desmarais et al, 2014).…”

Police Response To Mental Health-Related Calls for Service in the City of Watsonville

“…During the study, individuals suffering from mental health-related illnesses who were recently in contact with officers reported that when the officers treated them with fairness and respect, they were more willing to cooperate with the officer's orders rather than resist (Watson &Angell, 2013). These new approaches to responding to these types of calls for service are leading to fewer arrests and more supplemental services being provided (Desmarais, 2014).…”