Virtual Mental Illness: Opening Law Enforcement Eyes to Schizophrenia
The Wall Street Journal reported this week on a trend that I find very encouraging. Police officers all over the country are being given a glimpse into a schizophrenic’s world via a device called a “virtual hallucination machine,” created by a pharmaceutical company, in an effort to give them an understanding of what someone with untreated schizophrenia is experiencing.
Most, if not all, police officers encounter at least one mentally ill person on their beat. When someone with a disorder like schizophrenia goes off their medication and is difficult to handle or is potentially dangerous, the family member, friend or neighbor involved often call the police. This means that the police officers are involved in the situation even before social workers or medical personnel.
However, the traditional police training hasn’t necessarily equipped them to deal with the mentally ill – in fact it’s often just the opposite. Police officers are often trained to take charge of a situation using intimidating postures and loud voices. While this approach is arguably effective in standard confrontations, it is often a disaster with the mentally ill, especially schizophrenics.