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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Iain McKinnonORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Mental health crisis interventions involving police originated in the USA. In England and Wales, street triage services (a UK term used to describe urgent mental health and police interventions) were piloted in 2013. These models involve police and mental health services working together to ensure individuals receive the required support. Evaluation findings have shown inconsistent outcomes based on studies predominately limited to single sites. Evaluations to date have lacked theoretical consideration of the contexts and mechanisms triggering outcomes for service users. This review used a realist approach to develop an explanatory understanding of what happens in interventions involving the police responding to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis (underlying mechanisms), the contextual conditions surrounding the implementation of these interventions (context), and the outcomes produced as a result. The review was conducted using a two-stage process. Stage one generated initial programme theories, which informed a systematic literature search (stage two), which further developed, tested theories. From 6,461 potentially relevant papers identified in stage two, 19 papers were included. Extracted data was themed, prior to developing narrative and formulating programme theories. Six programme theories, spanning four themes were developed: Role legitimacy of police as responders to mental health crises, Using technology, Complex decision-making, and Responding to distress. Findings indicate that central to successful interventions involving the police in mental health crisis responses, is the requirement of social relationships and joint working between police and mental health services to foster trust. Presented findings contribute to a more detailed understanding of mechanisms within interventions involving the police in mental health crisis responses. By generating evidence-based understandings of the effective components of these support interventions, this research has potential to inform development of future such support at a time of significant policy changes impacting on the role of police as responders to mental health crises.
Author(s): Redgate S, Clibbens N, Haighton C, Dalkin S, Bate A, Girling M, McCarthy S, Eagles T, Gray J, McKinnon I
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Health and Social Care in the Community
Year: 2025
Volume: 25
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 10/05/2025
Acceptance date: 12/04/2025
Date deposited: 15/04/2025
ISSN (print): 0966-0410
ISSN (electronic): 1365-2524
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/7445445
DOI: 10.1155/hsc/7445445
Data Access Statement: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.
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