Mental Health Flashcards
What is a mental health incident?
“Any police incident thought to relate to someone’s mental health where their vulnerability is at the centre of the incident or where the police have had to do something additionally or differently because of it.”
Structural Factors affecting mental health
-Safe living environment
-Education
-Employment
-Freedom from discrimination and violence
- Access to economic resources
Community Factors affecting mental health
-A positive sense of belonging
-Community Contentedness
-Activities to highlight and embrace diversity
-Social Support
-Participation in society
Individual Factors affecting mental health
-Life experiences
-The ability to manage thoughts
-Coping with triggers
-Having communication and social skills to support connection with others
Neurological conditions (not mental illness)
Learning disability and autism
Define Mental disorder
Any disorder or disability of the mind (S.1(2) MHA 1983)
People who are vulnerable because of mental health are also…
high risk of going missing (4/5 missing adults have poor mental health)
Physical conditions that can relate to poor mental health
-Diabetes
-Epilepsy
-urinary tract infections
-strokes
Can cause confusion, agitation, loss of awareness, random body movements, depression and anxiety
Drugs and Alcohol that can relate to poor mental health
-Drugs can exacerbate poor mental health
-Some drugs can trigger schizophrenia
-Drugs can mask symptoms of an underlying mental health condition.
Behaviour associated with learning disabilities
-Distress
-Aggression
-Confusion
-Inability to communicate clearly
Mental health misconceptions
-Unreliable victims or witnesses
-Can’t be prosecuted if they break the law
-Can’t make day-to-day decisions
-lacks capacity to make any decision
Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983
Grants powers and responsibilities to police in relation to people with mental health conditions. Covers assessment, treatment and rights.
Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005
Provides legal framework for intervening in decision making for over 16’s who lack capacity to make a decision. 5 principles are:
1) Assume the person has capacity unless proven otherwise
2) Enable capacity by assisting the person when making a decision
3) If they make an unwise/eccentric decision, they must be respected.
4) If a person lacks capacity, treatment decisions must be made in the person’s best interests.
5) Treatment should be the least restrictive option to the person’s rights/freedoms
Warrant to search for and remove patients - S.135(1) MHA 1983
Warrant where reasonable suspicion exists that person needs a mental health assessment.
Constable may enter by force (if necessary) with a warrant if they suspect a person suffering a mental health disorder has been ill-treated or unable to care for himself (and is alone). The constable may then move them to a place off safety with a view to making arrangements for treatment.
Basically police attend to help if they kick off.
Effective communication skills
-Putting individual at ease, so they can talk about their illness/disability
-Reduce the risk of injury to all parties present
-Help provide valuable information if an individual intends to self-harm or take their own life, or if there is an immediate concern for the safety of the public
-Enable you to make an informed decision and help minimise any risks
Facilitators (Mental Health)
May need family member, carer or appropriate adult to facilitate communications