Mad, bad or sad: the police overuse of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 provides a power for police officers to detain a person found outside their home, who appears to be mentally ill and who presents a risk of harm to themselves or others. The purpose of this detention is to enable an assessment to be made of their need for further treatment under the other provisions of the Act. The number of detentions under Section 136 have risen 6 to 10 fold in the last 30 years whilst over the same period, the treatment rate following detention has fallen from over 95% to less than 20%. The analysis of public data in this thesis also shows a range of other trends in the police engagement with those who are mentally ill.

Four studies are reported here which show that the behaviours which result in detention have also changed over the same period and whilst they were previously violent, abusive, aggressive or sexualised they are now concerned with self-harm 80% or more of the time.

Study 3 shows that whilst part of the increase in detentions relates to reductions in available treatment services, a large part also relates to the development of a 'risk averse' culture within policing which encourages officers to detain people under Section 136 to reduce the potential consequences for them of a 'death following police contact'.

Study 4 shows that detentions and related risks can both be reduced by encouraging officers to use their discretion and through more effective partnership working.

Finally, study 4 also shows that the full range of police contacts with those who are mentally ill are not understood, as for every Section 136 type incident there were also eight others which also needed to be managed.

This thesis also includes recommendations for developing policy, practice and research