警消人員精神疾病識能與危機處理信心及 相關因子初探.

Objectives: With the impending implementation of Taiwan’s Mental Health Act in November 2024, the role of police officers and firefighters in assisting individuals with mental health issues in the community is more important than ever. This study aims to assess levels of mental illness literacy and crisis intervention confidence among police and firefighting personnel in Taiwan and explore potential correlates. Methods: A total of 527 police officers and 338 firefighters completed the anonymous online questionnaire survey. Results: Fewer police officers (41%) had taken courses on mental disorders than firefighters (57%), and only 23% of police officers had received training in mental crisis intervention, compared to 43% of firefighters. About half of police officers and firefighters (47% and 55%, respectively) had ever contacted mental health professionals during duty. For mental illness literacy, work experience under 10 years and having a family or friend affected by a mental disorder were positive correlates for both police officers (β=1.34 and 0.67) and firefighters (β=0.99 and 0.55). Receiving training was a prominent correlate for crisis intervention confidence in firefighters (β=0.80), while work experience with mental health professionals was more salient for police officers (β=0.49). Conclusions: To enhance community-based mental health care quality, integration of mental health into police academy curricula and provision of crisis intervention and team-based service delivery training are urgently recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]