Understanding the Role of Trust in Police on Depressive Symptoms

• In Event: Police Encounters: Examining Attitudes, Experiences, and Consequences

Abstract

Research consistently finds trust of police is low in the U.S., with a significant disparity between White and Black Americans. Existing scholarship focuses mostly on drivers of police trust, leaving implications of trust in police on other outcomes largely unexplored. Using a sample of adult residents in Arkansas (N=1,978), the current study begins to fill this gap in the literature by examining whether and how various dimensions of trust in police shape depressive symptoms. Given that race plays a central role in trust in police patterns in the U.S., we also investigate whether relationships between trust in police and depressive significantly differ for Black and White Arkansans. We find greater confidence in the fairness of police actions and general trust in law enforcement significantly reduced the risk of depressive symptoms. Results also show trust in police did not play a significant role in depressive symptoms for White Arkansans but, for Black Arkansans, an increase in perceived fairness and general trust in police was linked to a significant decrease in depressive symptoms. Results from this study provide more insight into the connections between policing, race, and mental health, highlighting the importance of trust in law enforcement in population health.

Author

• Michael Niño, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville