Forensic Psychiatry

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheku Magona ◽  
Tara Straka
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
The Public ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Fitness To Stand Trial ◽  
Criminal Procedure Law ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses ◽  
Public Psychiatrists

Law enforcement, lawmakers, and the public are increasingly concerned about how people with mental illness are treated within the criminal justice system. This chapter focuses on the role of public psychiatrists in the provision of timely evaluation, expertise, and care for individuals in custody—particularly for individuals with serious mental illnesses. A case-based discussion illuminates important aspects of the legal and health care challenges facing individuals at the time of arrest, arraignment, incarceration, trial, and community re-entry. The chapter discusses mental hygiene law, criminal procedure law, advocacy, and the formation of policy with an emphasis on fitness to stand trial. Appropriate diversion of individuals with mental illness from incarceration, and its role in helping these individuals to achieve recovery, is explored in detail.

Acceptance of Mental Illness

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Mizock ◽  
Zlatka Russinova
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Recovery Movement ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Face ◽  
Mental Wellness ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses ◽  
Diverse Groups

The book covers a topic that is often overlooked in the literature: How people with serious mental illnesses (i.e., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression) come to recognize and deal with the symptoms of a mental illness in order to promote recovery. Per the recovery movement in mental health, recovery is understood as not simply symptom elimination, but the process of living a meaningful and satisfying life in the face of mental illness. Acceptance of Mental Illness draws from research to provide educators, clinicians, researchers, and consumers with an understanding of the multidimensional process of acceptance of mental illness in order to support people across culturally diverse groups to experience empowerment, mental wellness, and growth. Chapters focus on providing a historical overview of the treatment of people with mental illness, examining the acceptance process, and exploring the experience of acceptance among women, men, racial–ethnic minorities, and LGBT individuals with serious mental illnesses. The book is a useful tool for mental health educators and providers, with each chapter containing case studies, clinical strategies lists, discussion questions, experiential activities, diagrams, and worksheets that can be completed with clients, students, and peers.

scholarly journals Role of risk assessment in reducing homicides by people with mental illness

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen Munro ◽  
Judith Rumgay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Substantial Risk

BackgroundImproved risk assessment has been stressed as the way to reduce homicides by people with mental illness. The feasibility of predicting rare events needs examining.AimsTo examine the findings of public inquiries into homicides by people with mental illness to see if they support the claim that better risk assessment would have averted the tragedy.MethodAnalysis was made of the findings of the public inquiries between 1988 and 1997 in relation to the predictability and preventability of the homicides.ResultsOf the homicides considered by the inquiry panels, 27.5% were judged to have been predictable, 65% preventable and 60% of the patients had a long-term history containing violence or substantial risk factors for violence.ConclusionsImproved risk assessment has only a limited role in reducing homicides. More deaths could be prevented by improved mental health care irrespective of the risk of violence. If services become biased towards those assessed as high risk, then ethical concerns arise about the care of both violent and non-violent patients.

Human rights of people with mental illness diagnosis: perceptions among service users, family members and health professionals in Tunisia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayssa Rekhis ◽  
Sami Ouanes ◽  
Abir Ben Hamouda ◽  
Rym Rafrafi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Right ◽  
Main Factor

Purpose This study aims to assess the awareness about the rights of people with mental illness in the main psychiatric hospital in Tunisia among the service users, the family members and the staff. Design/methodology/approach The Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities mandates that State Parties initiate and maintain campaigns and human rights training to promote understanding of the rights of people with mental illnesses, considered as a main factor for their fulfillment. Service users, family members and staff evaluated, through a survey, the importance of ten rights for persons with mental illness, stated in the convention. Findings Disparities were found in the perception of the different rights by and between the three groups. The highest levels of awareness were associated with the freedom from torture or degrading treatment and the right to live with dignity and respect, whereas the lower importance were assigned to the right to participation in recovery plans, to give consent and to exercise legal capacity. Originality/value The lack of awareness and the poor perception of rights of people with mental illness is one of the barriers to their achievement. More training and awareness raising is necessary.

A social history of serious mental illness

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 584-592
Author(s):  
Brendan Daugherty ◽  
Katherine Warburton ◽  
Stephen M. Stahl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social History ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
History Of ◽  
Reform And Innovation ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses

Despite medical, technological, and humanitarian advances, the criminalization of those with serious mental illness continues. This is not an isolated phenomenon. The benefits of treatment reform and innovation are difficult to maintain or sometimes outright harmful. Across time and geography, the care of those with serious mental illness tends towards maltreatment, be it criminalization or other forms of harm. We present a social history of serious mental illness, along with the idea that the treatment of serious mental illness is a Sisyphean task—perpetually pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down and start again. The history is provided as a basis for deeper reflection of treatment, and treatment reform, of those with serious mental illnesses.

Peer Support Shows Promise in Helping Persons Living with Mental Illness Address Their Physical Health Needs

2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Bates ◽  
Vivien Kemp ◽  
Mohan Isaac
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
People With Mental Illness

The physical health of individuals with long-term mental illnesses has long been of concern. In Western Australia, the overall mortality rate from preventable causes of people living with mental illness was reported to be 2.5 times greater than that of the general population. A trial peer support service was initiated to assist people with mental illness to attend to their physical health needs. This paper presents the planning, implementation, and results of this collaborative initiative involving nongovernment agencies, the public mental health service, consumers of mental health services, and the University of Western Australia.

Offenders with Mental Illness in Prison

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Manchak ◽  
Robert D. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Prison Management ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Prison Environment ◽  
Offenders With Mental Illness

This essay describes trends in the number of mentally disordered offenders in prison and the unique challenges posed by them in terms of prison management and service delivery. The essay first explores why persons with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, then discusses efforts to rehabilitate this population should not take place within the prison environment (and, if they do, what changes in current practices are necessary to adapt to the prison setting). How the challenges posed by mentally ill inmates are managed is also covered, with critical discussions of these strategies. Finally, an analysis of the changes that are needed to improve conditions for inmates with mental illness in prisons is presented, with a description of one promising program for treating these offenders. Suggestions for future research with this population that will help inform and improve prison conditions for offenders with mental illness are also provided.

A brief history of the criminalization of mental illness

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 638-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel A. Dvoskin ◽  
James L. Knoll ◽  
Mollie Silva
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses

This article traces the history of the way in which mental disorders were viewed and treated, from before the birth of Christ to the present day. Special attention is paid to the process of deinstitutionalization in the United States and the failure to create an adequately robust community mental health system to care for the people who, in a previous era, might have experienced lifelong hospitalization. As a result, far too many people with serious mental illnesses are living in jails and prisons that are ill-suited and unprepared to meet their needs.

scholarly journals Discrimination against people with mental illness: what can psychiatrists do?

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Thornicroft ◽  
Diana Rose ◽  
Nisha Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Psychiatric Practice ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
People With Mental Illness

SummaryThis article discusses the evidence that experiences of stigmatisation and discrimination among people with mental illnesses are common and may be severe. Furthermore, there are growing concerns that people with mental illness receive second-class physical healthcare. Beyond this, some aspects of psychiatric practice are reported as being insensitive, disrespectful or even disabling. We consider whether such claims are justified and what psychiatrists can do, directly and indirectly, to reduce stigma and discrimination and improve our practice.

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