Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, 505 Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill, VIC 3068, Australia.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2013 Feb;48(2):225-32. doi: 10.1007/s00127-012-0543-4. Epub 2012 Jun 29.
To examine the estimated rates of mental disorders and associated situational characteristics in people involved in nonfatal use of force incidents with police in VIC, Australia.
A random sample of 4,267 cases between 1995 and 2008 from a dedicated police Use of Force Register were linked with the state-wide public mental health database and a police contacts database. Rates of ICD 9 and ICD 10 mental disorders recorded on the public mental health database were examined, as well as rates of criminal offending and the characteristics of force used by both parties.
More than a third of people on whom the police resorted to using force (n = 1,621, 38%) had a history of mental disorder. Significant overrepresentations of the estimated prevalence of psychosis [12.5%, OR = 9.03, 95% CI (7.41, 11.01), p < 0.001] and schizophrenia [9.1%, OR = 9.73, 95% CI (7.59, 12.47) p < 0.001] were found. Those diagnosed with mental disorders were 1.52 times more likely to use or threaten to use weapons on police, even after taking into account age, sex, substances intoxication and violent behaviour [95% CI (1.23, 1.91), p < 0.001]; however, they were no more likely to injure or be injured by police than those without a recorded history of mental disorder. There was a noted trend for police to use, or threaten to use, weapons on people with a history of psychosis (other than schizophrenia) [OR = 1.40, 95% CI (1.11, 1.78), p = 0.005].
Psychoses and schizophrenia are dramatically overrepresented in cases where police resort to using force. Situational characteristics evident in the encounters are suggestive of a sub-group of people with mental disorders presenting with aggressive and otherwise problematic behaviours coupled with histories of criminal offending; this presents significant ongoing challenges for the police.
调查澳大利亚维多利亚州非致命性武力使用事件中涉及警察的人员的精神障碍发生率及其相关情况。
从 1995 年至 2008 年的专用警察武力使用登记册中随机抽取了 4267 例案例，并与全州公共精神健康数据库和警察联系数据库进行了链接。检查了公共精神健康数据库中记录的 ICD-9 和 ICD-10 精神障碍的发生率，以及双方使用武力的犯罪发生率和特征。
超过三分之一的警察被迫使用武力的人员（n=1621，38%）有精神障碍病史。精神病的估计患病率明显过高[12.5%，OR=9.03，95%置信区间（7.41，11.01），p<0.001]和精神分裂症[9.1%，OR=9.73，95%置信区间（7.59，12.47），p<0.001]。与没有记录精神障碍病史的人相比，被诊断患有精神障碍的人使用或威胁使用武器的可能性高出 1.52 倍[95%置信区间（1.23，1.91），p<0.001]；然而，他们受伤或被警察伤害的可能性并不比没有记录精神障碍病史的人高。有明显的趋势表明，警察对有精神病（非精神分裂症）病史的人使用或威胁使用武器[OR=1.40，95%置信区间（1.11，1.78），p=0.005]。
精神病和精神分裂症在警察使用武力的情况下明显过高。相遇中的情况特征表明，存在一群具有精神障碍的人，他们表现出攻击性和其他有问题的行为，并且有犯罪记录；这对警察提出了重大的持续挑战。
