Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Police as a community mental health resource

  • Articles
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In their pathways to the state mental hospital, almost 50% of mentally ill patients and their families from Baltimore utilize the police as a community resource. To better understand why so many people use the police for help with mental problems, a comparison was made between first admission patients who used the police (N=17) and those who used more conventional medical resources (N=35). The results indicate that families decide to call the police because other, more appropriate, resources are not as accessible and will not offer services to recalcitrant patients. Until community mental health facilities develop more active evaluation and treatment programs for reluctant patients, the police will continue to serve a needed role in the care of the mentally ill.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bard, M., & Berkowitz, B. Training police as specialists in family crisis intervention: a community psychology action program.Community Mental Health Journal, 1967,3, 315–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bittner, E. Police discretion in emergency apprehension of mentally ill persons.Social Problems, 1967,14, 278–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cumming, Elaine Phase movement in the support and control of the psychiatric patient.Journal of Health and Human Behavior, 1962,3, 235–241.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cumming, Elaine, Edell, L., & Cumming, I. Policeman as philosopher, guide and friend.Social Problems, 1965,12, 276–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glasscote, R. M. Putting the mentally ill in jail continues to be common practice in much of U.S.Psychiatric News, May & June, 1966.

  • Hollingshead, A., & Redlich, F. C.Social class and mental illness. New York: John Wiley, 1958.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liberman, R. Personal influence in the use of mental health resources.Human Organization, 1965,24, 231–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liberman, R. The role of physicians in the patient's path to the mental hospital.Community Mental Health Journal, 1967,3, 325–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maryland Association for Mental Health.Finding the way to the mental hospital. Baltimore: 1961.

  • Schwartz, Charlotte G. Perspectives on deviance: wives' definitions of their husbands' mental illness.Psychiatry, 1957,20, 275–291.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral and Clinical Studies Research Center, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, NIMH, 20032, Washington, D.C.

    Robert Liberman M.D. (psychiatrist)

Authors
  1. Robert Liberman M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was performed when the author was associated with the Department of Mental Hygiene of The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Hygiene. The research was financed by the Henry Strong Denison Fund for Medical Research. The author appreciates the encouragement of Professor Paul V. Lemkau and the technical assistance of Mrs. Mary Grotefend, R.N.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liberman, R. Police as a community mental health resource. Community Ment Health J 5, 111–120 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01420015

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01420015

Keywords

Search

Navigation