More Problems or More People with Problems? Decomposing Age and Sex Differentials in the Growth in Police Deployments to People with Mental Health Challenges

• In Event: Exploring the relationship between criminal justice contacts, health and mental health outcomes

Abstract

The police are increasingly charged with the handling of people with mental health challenges, yet the sources of this increase are largely unknown. This paper uses detailed data on all police deployments to people with mental health challenges during 2008-2022 in Denmark to decompose the growth along extensive and intensive margins and along key characteristics such as cohort and sex. Results show that the growth in police deployments to people with mental health challenges in Denmark concentrates in more people needing assistance (i.e., an extensive margin growth) rather than in repeat assistance to the same people (i.e., intensive margin growth is smaller). This finding holds across cohorts and sex, albeit the characteristics produce level differences. Cohort differences are especially pronounced, indicating higher cumulative first-ever contact shares by any given age, consistent with contemporary youth's strained mental health.

Authors

• Lars Højsgaard Andersen, ROCKWOOL Foundation

• Thomas Kjaer, ROCKWOOL Foundation

• Camilla Hvidtfeldt, ROCKWOOL Foundation