Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020 Sep;66(6):576-583. doi: 10.1177/0020764020920904. Epub 2020 May 21.
Homelessness has risen across high-income countries in the last decade, and in the United Kingdom, there has been a drastic increase in people living on the streets. Due to these increases, policy responses from public services are required to address the needs of this group. The risk factors for homelessness and conditions that this group live in mean they are at elevated risk of both mental health problems and contact with the criminal justice system. Despite this, there is little previous research on the homeless in police custody.
Our study used a matched sample of homeless ( = 77) and non-homeless (n = 77) individuals to examine whether there were different needs across this group and whether the responses of a criminal justice mental health service differ for this group. This study is a secondary data analysis of a more extensive study.
Homeless and non-homeless detainees referred to the mental health service were broadly similar. However, differences in some variables show that homeless detainees had higher rates and frequency of substance misuse as well as some suggestion of more acute immediate need. Onward referrals were lower for homeless people, and it is not clear why this is the case. In addition, for those referred contact with services over time was reduced compared to the non-homeless group.
Our findings indicate that mental health services in police custody may need adaptations to ensure homeless individuals' higher level of need is addressed and that they receive appropriate care both during and after detention. Further quantitative and qualitative research is needed to confirm why responses differ and to assess what can be done to address this issue.
在过去十年中，高收入国家的无家可归者人数有所增加，而在英国，街头流浪者的人数急剧增加。由于这些增加，公共服务部门需要采取政策措施来满足这一群体的需求。无家可归者的风险因素以及他们所处的生活条件意味着他们面临着更高的心理健康问题和与刑事司法系统接触的风险。尽管如此，以前对警察拘留所中的无家可归者的研究很少。
我们的研究使用了一组匹配的无家可归者（ = 77）和非无家可归者（n = 77）个体的样本，以检查这一群体是否存在不同的需求，以及刑事司法心理健康服务对这一群体的反应是否不同。本研究是一项更广泛研究的二次数据分析。
被转介到心理健康服务机构的无家可归者和非无家可归者被拘留者在很大程度上相似。然而，一些变量的差异表明，无家可归者的药物滥用率和频率更高，并且有一些迹象表明他们的即时需求更严重。无家可归者的转介率较低，目前尚不清楚原因。此外，与非无家可归者相比，这些被转介者在一段时间内与服务的接触减少了。
我们的研究结果表明，警察拘留所中的心理健康服务可能需要进行调整，以确保满足无家可归者更高水平的需求，并确保他们在拘留期间和之后都能得到适当的护理。需要进一步进行定量和定性研究，以确认为什么反应不同，并评估可以采取什么措施来解决这个问题。
