One study found that mental health-related incidents remained relatively stable during the pandemic.

A new study finds that while most types of crime are down in Canada and internationally due to social restrictions due to COVID-19, mental health-related incidents have remained relatively stable, contrary to claims that mental health-related incidents have increased across the country. Restrictions related to the epidemic.

The study, published in Canadian Journal of Crime and Criminal JusticeIt suggests that more police calls to respond to mental health-related inquiries may be unnecessary and that a focus on preventative measures is key.

Our findings suggest that police resourcing may not be an important focus during a unique event such as a pandemic. Instead, we suggest that funding could be better spent on prevention strategies that improve evidence-based mental health predictors, such as housing, basic income, and social services.

Martin Andresen, Research Associate, Professor of Criminology, Simon Fraser University

“For example, research has shown that the impact of the epidemic is disproportionately distributed among women, people with disabilities, people with previous mental health issues, and other marginalized groups,” Andresen says.

Andresen and Wilfrid Laurier University assistant professor Tarah Hodgkinson analyzed mental health-related calls from 13 police provinces across Canada from March 2019 to November 2021.

They used open source data from Justice and Community Safety Statistics Canada to examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on police-reported mental health-related calls.

Digging into the data

Researchers looked at calls for property and violent crimes, which declined in nearly every state. One notable exception was London, Ontario, where violent crime increased by 30 percent during the outbreak.

The team found that Mental Health Act Apprehensions increased in 10 of the 13 police services except Calgary and Regina. Apprehensions are carried out by police officers when individuals are considered a danger to themselves or others and undergo a medical evaluation in a medical facility.

The Ontario Provincial Police, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Toronto and Waterloo Region all recorded statistically significant increases in Mental Health Act (MHA) threats (47, 12, 10 and 13 per cent respectively). Meanwhile, researchers in Vancouver reported to Statistics Canada that there was a complete lack of fear of MHA.

During the Covid-19 period, calls to the police about suicide or suicidal ideation did not show a statistically significant decrease overall in Halton Region, Toronto, Vancouver and York Region.

However, calls to police classified as mental health (other) increased in Toronto, Regina and Ottawa. In particular, researchers found a significant increase in Toronto.

take away

An increase in mental health (other) calls to the police may suggest that certain populations may be more vulnerable and need improved or expanded social services.

Instead of allocating more money to police services in times of crisis, researchers believe income support and support for those struggling with addiction in vulnerable and marginalized communities can help address mental health issues that reduce the need for police assistance.