A Comparative Perspective on Forensic Psychiatry in Canada and England

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Green Christopher ◽  
Laurence J. Naismith
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Comparative Perspective ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Psychiatric Institutions ◽  
English System ◽  
Correctional System ◽  
Forensic Psychiatric

ABSTRACT: An outline is presented of the development and practice of forensic psychiatry, including relevant legal aspects, in Canada, in comparison to the English system. It is written by two English-trained psychiatrists, who have provided forensic services in both Canada and England. Canadian forensic psychiatry is portrayed as having a greater medico-legal emphasis than at present in England, with a continuing dependence on the insanity verdict for seriously mentally disordered offenders. Canadian forensic psychiatric institutions are often attached to the correctional system, whereas in England they are under the Department of Health. Within this framework, the article elaborates upon clinical and medico-legal differences.

scholarly journals Dutch lessons in forensic psychiatry

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 373-376
Author(s):  
Jeyabala Balakrishna
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Wealthy Country ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
English System ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Legal Measure

Dutch forensic psychiatry provides services for mentally disordered offenders which centre around a legal measure called the TBS order. Specialised units deal separately with assessment and treatment. The system appears to work in the context of a small and wealthy country and a criminal justice system which differs from the English system. This paper describes the key features of the secure units, examines the conceptual issues and complications of the Dutch system, and considers lessons for psychiatric and legal approaches to the problem of psychopathy in Britain, in particular the new hybrid order.

Dangerous or merely ‘difficult’? The new population of forensic mental hospitals

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Schanda ◽  
T. Stompe ◽  
G. Ortwein-Swoboda
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Mental Hospitals ◽  
Psychiatric Institutions ◽  
Forensic Psychiatric ◽  
Mental Health Policies

AbstractBackgroundDuring recent decades, there has been a substantial increase in admissions to forensic mental hospitals in several European countries. It is not known if reforms implemented in mental health policies and practices are responsible for this development.ObjectiveOur study examined the development of mental health care in Austria and the incidence and prevalence of mentally disordered offenders judged not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI).MethodsWe analysed data on service provision and data from criminal statistics between 1970 and 2008 from several national sources.ResultsDuring the first decade when reforms to mental health practice were implemented, the incidence and prevalence of offenders judged NGRI remained unchanged, despite a reduction of mental hospital beds by nearly 50% and little outpatient care. Surprisingly, the enormous increase in admissions to forensic inpatient treatment began in Austria only after community mental health services were rolled out across the country in the 1990s. This increase was primarily due to admissions of patients who had committed less severe offences, while rates of those who had committed homicide remained unchanged.ConclusionOur results cannot be explained by details of the reforms such as the downsizing of mental hospitals or a lack of outpatient facilities, nor by changes to criminal sentencing. Rather, the results provide evidence of an increasingly inadequate provision of comprehensive care for “difficult” but not extremely dangerous psychotic patients living in the community. This may result from the attitudes of mental health professionals who have become less inclined to integrate aggressive behaviour into their understanding of psychosis. As a consequence, increasing numbers of “difficult” patients end up in forensic psychiatric institutions. This development, which can be observed in nearly all European countries, raises concerns with regard to efforts to destigmatize both patients and psychiatry.

Forensic psychiatry

2017 ◽  
pp. 513-538
Author(s):  
Paul Harrison ◽  
Philip Cowen ◽  
Tom Burns ◽  
Mina Fazel
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Criminal Courts ◽  
Health Care Settings ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Current Thinking ◽  
The Status ◽  
Causes Of Crime

‘Forensic psychiatry’ describes the branch of psychiatry concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mentally disordered offenders, but also refers to all legal aspects of psychiatric practice, including the use of civil law. This chapter outlines current thinking in criminology and the causes of crime. It focuses on the association between mental disorder and crime, specific offender groups and the psychiatric aspects of specific crimes. It also explores psychiatric aspects of being a victim of crime. It covers the role of the psychiatrist in the criminal courts and the treatment of mentally disordered offenders and the management of violence in a range of health care settings. Lastly, it covers the status of risk assessment and the principles of preparing a psychiatric report for the courts.

scholarly journals Providing a forensic psychiatric service to Cardiff Prison

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 670-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Huckle ◽  
Tegwyn Williams
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Psychiatric Service ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Forensic Psychiatric

The extrication of seriously mentally disordered offenders from all stages in the criminal justice system from arrest to imprisonment is a major role for both general and forensic psychiatry. A survey of inmates in Cardiff Prison referred to an ‘out-patient’ forensic psychiatric service held weekly is presented. An alarming number of referrals were patients with schizophrenia.

Is There a Need for Elderly Forensic Psychiatric Services?

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
I O Nnatu ◽  
F Mahomed ◽  
A Shah
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Old Age ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Court Diversion ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry ◽  
Forensic Psychiatric ◽  
Developed Nations

The population of the elderly in most developed nations is on the increase. Furthermore, the prevalence of mental disorder amongst elderly offenders is high. The true extent of `elderly' crime is unknown because much of it goes undetected and unreported. This leads to a failure to detect mental illness in such offenders. Court diversion schemes may improve recognition of mental illness but these schemes usually tend to deal with the more severe crimes. This may result in an overestimation of the amount of serious crime committed by the elderly and a failure to detect mental illness amongst those who commit less serious crimes. Efforts to service this hidden morbidity call for multi-agency collaboration. Improved detection and reporting of crimes is essential if mental health difficulties in the elderly are not to go unnoticed. The needs of elderly mentally-disordered offenders are complex and fall within the expertise of old age and forensic psychiatry, without being adequately met by either one. Therefore, consideration should be given to the development of a tertiary specialist forensic old-age psychiatry service.

scholarly journals Service innovations: the Orchard Clinic: Scotland's first medium secure unit

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (03) ◽  
pp. 105-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Secure Unit ◽  
The Government

The development of forensic psychiatry provision in Scotland lags behind that in other parts of the United Kingdom. Until recently, there were no medium secure units in the country and mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) requiring such care had to be managed in intensive psychiatric care unit (IPCU) settings. In November 2000, The Orchard Clinic, a medium secure unit sited at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, was opened. This paper discusses the background to this development, the government policies setting out plans for the care, services and support of MDOs in Scotland, progress and work of the new unit to date and plans for developments in other parts of Scotland.

Service innovations: the Orchard Clinic: Scotland's first medium secure unit

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Secure Unit ◽  
The Government

The development of forensic psychiatry provision in Scotland lags behind that in other parts of the United Kingdom. Until recently, there were no medium secure units in the country and mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) requiring such care had to be managed in intensive psychiatric care unit (IPCU) settings. In November 2000, The Orchard Clinic, a medium secure unit sited at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, was opened. This paper discusses the background to this development, the government policies setting out plans for the care, services and support of MDOs in Scotland, progress and work of the new unit to date and plans for developments in other parts of Scotland.

scholarly journals European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance on forensic psychiatry: Evidence based assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offenders

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 58-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit A. Völlm ◽  
Martin Clarke ◽  
Vicenç Tort Herrando ◽  
Allan O. Seppänen ◽  
Paweł Gosek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Expert Witness ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Assessment And Treatment

AbstractForensic psychiatry in Europe is a specialty primarily concerned with individuals who have either offended or present a risk of doing so, and who also suffer from a psychiatric condition. These mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) are often cared for in secure psychiatric environments or prisons. In this guidance paper we first present an overview of the field of forensic psychiatry from a European perspective. We then present a review of the literature summarising the evidence on the assessment and treatment of MDOs under the following headings: The forensic psychiatrist as expert witness, risk, treatment settings for mentally disordered offenders, and what works for MDOs. We undertook a rapid review of the literature with search terms related to: forensic psychiatry, review articles, randomised controlled trials and best practice. We searched the Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane library databases from 2000 onwards for adult groups only. We scrutinised publications for additional relevant literature, and searched the websites of relevant professional organisations for policies, statements or guidance of interest. We present the findings of the scientific literature as well as recommendations for best practice drawing additionally from the guidance documents identified. We found that the evidence base for forensic-psychiatric practice is weak though there is some evidence to suggest that psychiatric care produces better outcomes than criminal justice detention only. Practitioners need to follow general psychiatric guidance as well as that for offenders, adapted for the complex needs of this patient group, paying particular attention to long-term detention and ethical issues.

Forensic psychiatry

2019 ◽  
pp. 721-784
Author(s):  
David Semple ◽  
Roger Smyth
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Criminal Responsibility ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Court Liaison

Covering the role of the psychiatrist in forensic situations, from participation in the criminal justice system and legal definitions of crime (including homicide, violence, and sexual offences) to the relationship between mental disorders and offending, this chapter addresses secure hospitals and units, police and court liaison, and the role of the prison psychiatry. Legal provisions and how to give evidence in court are described, and an overview of pathways through the criminal health and justice system for mentally disordered offenders is provided. Fitness to plead and criminal responsibility are both explained.

scholarly journals Forensic psychiatry in Europe

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 421-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey Gordon ◽  
Per Lindqvist
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Member States ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Mutual Knowledge ◽  
Definition Of

The European Union now includes 27 member states. The Council of Europe stretches even further with 45 member states. A comprehensive definition of Europe geographically embraces all of Eastern Europe, including the western part of Russia and the western part of Turkey. Increasing mobility and national cooperation within Europe requires enhancing mutual knowledge and understanding of the context of evaluation and treatment of mentally disordered offenders and similar individuals who manifest antisocial behaviour and violence. A recent study confined to the previous 15 member states of the European Union provides a useful baseline for subsequent European comparisons (Salize & Dressing, 2005).

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