ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Forensic Psychiatry
This article is part of the Research TopicEvaluative Complexities in Forensic Psychology: Methodological and Ethical considerationsView all articles
Subjective assessment of mood in patients hospitalized in forensic psychiatry departments
Provisionally accepted
- 1Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach Wydzial Nauk o Zdrowiu w Katowicach, Katowice, Poland
- 2Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach Wydzial Zdrowia Publicznego, Bytom, Poland
- 3Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, Katowice, Poland
- 4Department and Clinic of Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Katowice, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, Katowice, Poland
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Objective Subjective mood assessment is a crucial element in the diagnostic and therapeutic process in psychiatry. Assessment of subjective mood is particularly important among forensic psychiatric patients. This population is characterized by specific environmental factors—isolation, limited autonomy, and stress related to legal proceedings. This situation can significantly impact patients' well-being and mood. The aim of this study is to discuss the specificity of subjective mood assessment in the forensic psychiatric patient population and the importance of this tool in everyday clinical practice. Material and methods The study was conducted in forensic psychiatry departments under basic security conditions using a survey method among 112 patients. The research tool included a research questionnaire with a demographic and clinical survey and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results The overall level of depressive symptoms among patients was relatively low. The highest symptom severity was associated with feelings of guilt, loss of interest, and pessimism. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between the length of hospitalization and the level of depression – the longer the stay, the higher the mean scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (p = 0.00001). The highest values were observed among patients hospitalized for 5 to 9 years. Conclusions The analysis shows that patients in forensic psychiatry wards have a low level of depressive symptoms, but their severity increases with the length of stay.
Keywords: Depression, Detention, emotional state, Forensic Psychiatry, mood
Received: 19 Oct 2025; Accepted: 02 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fojcik, Górski, Skowronek, SZAWARNOGA and Krzystanek. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Joanna Fojcik
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