2024 Lesson 14: Mental Illness

This is an online interpersonal perspectives course designed to assist law enforcement officers in interactions with persons with mental illness. The lesson explores why the issue of mental illness is important to the law enforcement community, by examining the prevalence of mental illness in the United States population and specific encounters between persons with mental health disorders and law enforcement officers. The lesson examines the symptoms of various mental health disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, neurocognitive disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, impulse-control disorders, and others. The lesson provides detailed tips for recognizing a person with mental illness and guidelines for interacting with persons with mental illness. Finally, the lesson explains Missouri’s involuntary detention procedures.