Psychiatric News (3/27) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis shows that “nearly a quarter of referrals to psychiatric emergency departments (PEDs) in the United States are made by police, a rate dramatically higher than the global average.” According to the review, “patients referred to PEDs by police tended to be homeless males with a diagnosis of substance use and/or psychotic disorders and were more likely to display aggressive behavior.” On average, “13.7% of PED admissions globally were referred by police, compared with 22.8% in the United States. Compared with patients not referred by police, police-referred patients globally were more than four times as likely to show aggressive behavior, 1.84 times as likely to be homeless, and 1.33 times and 1.45 times as likely to have a diagnosis of a substance use or a psychotic disorder, respectively.” The review was published in Psychiatric Services.
Related Links:
— “Individuals in U.S. More Likely to Be Referred to Psychiatric EDs by Police Than in Other Countries,” Psychiatric News, March 27, 2025