Interviewing persons with mental illness: a retrospective review of police interviews
Individuals with a mental illness may be particularly vulnerable during police interviews. Assessing fitness for police interview is vital for ensuring procedural fairness. This retrospective study was of a sample of individuals with mental illness found not criminally responsible for serious violent offences in Queensland, Australia. The study aimed to:
- estimate the prevalence of symptoms of mental illness during a police interview among those subsequently found not criminally responsible by reason of insanity (a defence called unsound of mind, USM, in Queensland); and
- describe the specific police practices that were initiated to respond to the needs of people with symptoms of mental illness during a police interview.
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