Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31175516›Full record

SynthesisCommunity mental health journal2019

The Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts in Reducing Recidivism and Police Contact: A Systematic Review.

Desmond Loong, Sarah Bonato, Jan Barnsley, Carolyn S Dewa

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Community mental health journal, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 35 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Professionals' perceptions of the Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy (MHS) Court: a qualitative analysis.Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Desmond LoongCentre for Research on Employment and Workplace Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, M5S 2S1, Canada.
Sarah BonatoLibrary Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, M5S 2S1, Canada.
Jan BarnsleyInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, M5T 3M6, Canada.
Carolyn S DewaCentre for Research on Employment and Workplace Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, M5S 2S1, Canada. csdewa@ucdavis.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-5647-3905
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health · CAUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

CIHR
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mental health courts were created to help criminal defendants who have a mental illness that significantly contributes to their criminal offense. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to assess the current evidence to address the question, "How effective are mental health courts in reducing recidivism and police contact?" Systematic literature searches of eight electronic databases were performed. A total of 2590 unique citations were identified. Of these, 20 studies were included in the final analysis. The results of this systematic review suggest there is some evidence to show that mental health courts help to reduce recidivism rates, but the effect on police contact is less clear. Results also suggest case managers or access to vocational and housing services may be important components of effective mental health courts.

Indexed as

Criminal LawMental Health ServicesHumansMental DisordersMental HealthPoliceRecidivismJustice systemMental health courtsMental illnessPolice contactRearrestRecidivism

Identifiers

PMID31175516
OpenAlexW2956141986

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.