The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Police Involvement in Mental Health Calls for Service

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic not only threatened individuals’ physical health but also caused a serious strain on mental health and access to care. Analyzing 4 years of data from 2019 through 2022, this study examines whether the frequency of mental health calls for service and police-initiate...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tartaro, Christine 1970- (Author)
Contributors: Lu, Ruibin
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Criminal justice policy review
Year: 2025, Volume: 36, Issue: 1/2, Pages: 3-21
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Covid-19
Calls for service
Police
Mental Health
Description
Summary:The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic not only threatened individuals’ physical health but also caused a serious strain on mental health and access to care. Analyzing 4 years of data from 2019 through 2022, this study examines whether the frequency of mental health calls for service and police-initiated stops for mental health reasons changed over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using interrupted time-series analysis, the results show that police involvement in mental health care was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, different changes were observed between dispatched calls for service and police-initiated stops for mental health reasons.
ISSN:1552-3586
DOI:10.1177/08874034241303024