Symptoms of mental health difficulties in police cell detainees in Iceland: Is it an appropriate place of safety for patients? A mixed methods study

IF 1.3 4区医学 Q1 LAW

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Pub Date : 2025-09-09 DOI:10.1016/j.ijlp.2025.102143

Rannveig Íva Aspardóttir, Hannah Jones, Alan Underwood, Jennifer Hopton, Georgina Mathlin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Individuals with mental health difficulties in Iceland can be detained in police cells as a last resource place of safety when psychiatrists consider patients unsuitable for admission to a ward, for example, due to being under the influence of substances or being too violent. We aimed to investigate if detainment in a police cell affected symptoms of mental illnesses, and subsequently if police cells are an appropriate place of safety for patients in Iceland. We used a mixed methods approach utilising administrative records of detainees' visible symptoms of mental illnesses and ten semi-structured interviews with mental health professionals and police sergeants. Unpublished secondary data from the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police of detainees (n = 6874) and exceptional incidents in police cells from the 1st of January 2018 to the 18th of August 2022 was analysed. 72.1 % of all suicide attempts and 77.3 % of all self-harming behaviour took place in the initial four hours of detainment. Three themes generated from the interviews with professionals: 1) violent behaviour as a determining factor in using police cells as a place of safety, 2) the detrimental impact of detainment in police cells on mental health, and 3) the lack of support and resources for professionals to appropriately care for individuals with mental health difficulties. The study highlights police cells are not currently suitable places of safety in Iceland. New laws and regulations in Iceland should be developed to support police and mental health professionals to adequately provide safety for individuals with mental health difficulties.

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冰岛警察拘留所被拘留者的精神健康问题症状：拘留所对病人来说是一个合适的安全场所吗？混合方法研究

在冰岛，有精神健康问题的人可以被拘留在警察局的牢房里，作为精神科医生认为病人不适合进入病房的最后安全场所，例如，由于受到药物的影响或过于暴力。我们的目的是调查拘留在警察牢房中是否会影响精神疾病的症状，以及随后警察牢房对冰岛的患者来说是否是一个适当的安全场所。我们采用了一种混合方法，利用被拘留者的明显精神疾病症状的行政记录，并与精神卫生专业人员和警长进行了10次半结构化访谈。对2018年1月1日至2022年8月18日期间雷克雅未克大都会警察局未公布的被拘留者（n = 6874）和警察牢房中的特殊事件的二手数据进行了分析。72.1%的自杀企图和77.3%的自残行为发生在拘留的最初四个小时内。与专业人员的访谈产生了三个主题：1)暴力行为是将警察牢房作为安全场所的一个决定因素；2)拘留在警察牢房对精神健康的有害影响；3)专业人员在适当照顾有精神健康困难的个人方面缺乏支持和资源。该研究强调，目前在冰岛，警察牢房并不是合适的安全场所。冰岛应制定新的法律和条例，以支持警察和心理健康专业人员为有心理健康困难的个人提供充分的安全保障。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Multiple-

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

8.70%

发文量

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Law and Psychiatry is intended to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas and information among professionals concerned with the interface of law and psychiatry. There is a growing awareness of the need for exploring the fundamental goals of both the legal and psychiatric systems and the social implications of their interaction. The journal seeks to enhance understanding and cooperation in the field through the varied approaches represented, not only by law and psychiatry, but also by the social sciences and related disciplines.