Women and Bipolar Disorder
- Although bipolar disorder is equally common in women and men, research indicates that approximately three times as many women as men experience rapid cycling. (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58, 1995 [Suppl.15])
- Other research findings indicate that women with bipolar disorder may have more depressive episodes and more mixed episodes than do men with the illness. (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58, 1995
- Affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population age 18 and older every year. (National Institute of Mental Health)
- The median age of onset for bipolar disorder is 25 years (National Institue of Mental Health), although the illness can start in early childhood or as late as the 40's and 50's.
- An equal number of men and women develop bipolar illness and it is found in all ages, races, ethnic groups and social classes.
- Bipolar disorder is more likely to affect the children of parents who have the disorder. When one parent has bipolar disorder, the risk to each child is l5 to 30%. When both parents have bipolar disorder, the risk increases to 50 to 75%. (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Bipolar Disorder may be at least as common among youth as among adults. In a recent NIMH study, one percent of adolescents ages 14 to 18 were found to have met criteria for bipolar disorder or cyclothymia in their lifetime. (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Some 20% of adolescents with major depression develop bipolar disorder within five years of the onset of depression. (Birmaher, B., "Childhood and Adolescent Depression: A Review of the Past 10 Years." Part I, 1995)
- Up to one-third of the 3.4 million children and adolescents with depression in the United States may actually be experiencing the early onset of bipolar disorder. (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997)
Bipolar Disorder
and Suicide
- Success rates of 70 to 85% were once expected with lithium for the acute phase treatment of mania, however, lithium response rates of only 40 to 50% are now commonplace. (Surgeon General Report for Mental Health)
- Consumers with bipolar disorder face up to ten years of coping with symptoms before getting an accurate diagnosis, with only one in four receiving an accurate diagnosis in less than three years. (DBSA, 2000)
- A gender bias exists in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder: women are far more likely to be misdiagnosed with depression and men are far more likely to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. (DBSA, 2000)
- Bipolar disorder results in 9.2 years reduction in expected life span, and as many as one in five patients with bipolar disorder completes suicide. (National Institute of Mental Health)
Alysia Hoover-Thompson, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Mental Health and the Legal System
Statistics from NAMI
This American Life Episode 579:My Damn Mind
Each year, 2 million jail bookings involve a person with mental illness
1 in 4 individuals killed in officer-involved shootings has a serious mental illness
15% of men and 30% of women in local jails have a serious mental illness
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/579/my-damn-mind
Law enforcement agencies have increasingly become de facto first responders to people experiencing mental health crisis
In 2014:
- 52 percent of hospitals reported their security personnel carried handguns
- 47 percent reported arming them with Tasers
- 40 percent increase in violent crime between 2012 and 2014
- more than 10,000 incidents directed at employees
Mental Health and Law Enforcement
Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Mental Health Training for Police Officers
- "Memphis Program" in 1988
- Police based first responder program of pre-arrest jail diversion for those in a mental illness crisis
- Provides law enforcement based CIT for helping those individuals with mental illness
- Involvement in CIT is voluntary and based in the patrol division of the police department
- CIT works in partnership with those in mental health care to provide a system of services that is friendly to the individuals with mental illness, family members, and the police officers
- States range from 0-40 mandatory hours of training...most require 8 hours or less
- Crisis Intervention Training CIT) is only standardized training model
- The story of Alan Pean (This American Life)
- Statistics on Bipolar Disorder
- Statistics on the intersection between law enforcement and mental illness
- Mental health training for law enforcement
- What is the answer?
What About Universities?
What is the
Answer?
- Radford University PD is trained in CIT
- Frostburg State University PD is not
CIT...Continued
Outcome Research
CIT has been found to be....
Let's assume you are the newly hired person in charge of making big decisions at your organization (College/University or Medical Center)...congratulations!
What types of training would you require of security/police?
Who would be trained and how would you deal with turnover?
How would you pay for it?
Would you partner with any community organizations?
Effective in developing positive perceptions and increased confidence among police officers
- 40 hours of intensive training developed through a partnership between NAMI, the University of Memphis CIT Center, CIT International and the International Association of Chiefs of Police
- Learning from mental health professionals and experienced officers in your community
- Personal interaction with people who have experienced and recovered from mental health crisis and with family members who have cared for loved ones with mental illness
- Verbal de-escalation skills
- Scenario-based training on responding to crises
...all accomplished while significantly decreasing police officer injury rates
Improving the likelihood of treatment continuity with community based providers
Providing very efficient crisis response times and increasing jail diversion among those with mental illness
Impacting psychiatric symptomatology for those suffering from a serious mental illness as well as substance abuse disorders
So Why Are We Still Having So Many Shootings?
- ~2,800 CIT programs (~15% of police jurisdictions)
- Barriers:
- Cost
- Time
- People-power
- Turnover rates
- Poor access to community mental health
Social Justice and Current Mental
Health Issues: Story of Alan Pean