Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand How Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training Facilitates Police Officers' Mental Health Referrals

• Authors: Michael T. Compton, Columbia University; Shaily Krishan, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; Beth Broussard, Emory University; Roger Bakeman, Georgia State University; Matthew H. Fleischmann, McGill University; Dana Hankerson-Dyson, Emory University; Letheshia Husbands, Emory University; Tarianna Stewart, Georgia Institute of Technology; Barbara D'Orio, Emory University; Brandon del Pozo, Brown University; Amy C. Watson, University of Wisconsin
• Journal Title: COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL
• Volume: Volume 58, Number 6
• Publisher: SPRINGER | 2021-11-23, Pages 1112-1120
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00920-8
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health; Psychology, Behavioral
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Health Policy & Services; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Psychiatry; Health Care Sciences & Services; Crisis Intervention Team; Law enforcement; Police officers; Theory of Planned Behavior; SELF-EFFICACY; ATTITUDES; PERCEPTIONS; INTENTIONS; KNOWLEDGE

Abstract

The Theory of Planned Behavior posits that behaviors are predicted by one's intention to perform them; intention is driven by attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. We used this theory to predict Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-trained and non-CIT officers' intention to facilitate referral of persons with suspected mental illnesses to mental health services. CIT-trained (n = 251) and non-CIT (n = 335) officers from six law enforcement agencies participated. CIT-trained officers had significantly greater scores on all constructs. Theory constructs fit the data well, and fit did not differ meaningfully between the two groups. Direct and indirect predictors together accounted for 28% and 21%, respectively, of variance in behavioral intention. Attitude was the strongest predictor. Intentions to facilitate mental health referrals may be driven by the same factors among CIT-trained and non-CIT officers, but CIT officers, even at a median of 22 months after training, have significantly higher scores on those factors.