Forensic psychiatry is the branch of psychiatry that deals with issues arising in the interface between psychiatry and the law. It has a history that dates back almost two thousand years, and has evolved into a recognized discipline with a robust background of scientific inquiry, mostly because mental health care has always had an important interface with the law. As a cross-speciality of law and psychiatry, it has become an acknowledged and respected psychiatric subspecialty in many countries in recent decades. The central tasks of forensic psychiatry are scientific and medicolegal expertise applied in legal contexts involving civil, criminal, correctional, regulatory or legislative matters such as responsibility and risk assessments, and specialized clinical work in areas of treatment and rehabilitation, which ultimately aims to improve and secure the lives of offenders with psychiatric disorders.
Despite legal frameworks for the practices of forensic psychiatry vary across countries and legislations, it is key to consider and employ the best available scientific knowledge for forensic psychiatry while performing its practice. Therefore, whether conducting psychiatric assessment or treatment, the practice of forensic psychiatry is expected to be supported by scientific facts and statistical projections
Accordingly, neuroscientific evidence is increasingly being used in criminal trials as part of psychiatric testimony, nourishing the debate about the legal implications of brain research in psychiatric-legal settings. A scientific evaluation of our present practice will form a valid base for forensic assessment that is sensitive to the dynamics of forensic practice as well as for appropriate treatment approaches which reduce reoffending. In this Research Topic, we aimed to add evidence-based and novel data to findings and practices derived from forensic psychiatric research presented hitherto and to introduce the most recent scientific information relevant to forensic psychiatric assessment and treatment.
We welcome manuscripts with a conceptual or methodological focus with the formats of original research, brief research report, review (mini, narrative, or systematic), case report and series, hypothesis and theory, perspective, commentary, or opinion. Studies addressing the following themes are encouraged:
• The interplay between criminal behavior, mental health, and law from a forensic psychiatric viewpoint
• Forensic psychiatric and psychological perspective applied to understanding the triggers of criminal behavior
• Current directions and clinical practice of violence risk assessment
• Correctional and prison psychiatry
• Mentally ill offender treatment and rehabilitation
• Prevention-based approaches for reducing recidivism
Forensic psychiatry is the branch of psychiatry that deals with issues arising in the interface between psychiatry and the law. It has a history that dates back almost two thousand years, and has evolved into a recognized discipline with a robust background of scientific inquiry, mostly because mental health care has always had an important interface with the law. As a cross-speciality of law and psychiatry, it has become an acknowledged and respected psychiatric subspecialty in many countries in recent decades. The central tasks of forensic psychiatry are scientific and medicolegal expertise applied in legal contexts involving civil, criminal, correctional, regulatory or legislative matters such as responsibility and risk assessments, and specialized clinical work in areas of treatment and rehabilitation, which ultimately aims to improve and secure the lives of offenders with psychiatric disorders.
Despite legal frameworks for the practices of forensic psychiatry vary across countries and legislations, it is key to consider and employ the best available scientific knowledge for forensic psychiatry while performing its practice. Therefore, whether conducting psychiatric assessment or treatment, the practice of forensic psychiatry is expected to be supported by scientific facts and statistical projections
Accordingly, neuroscientific evidence is increasingly being used in criminal trials as part of psychiatric testimony, nourishing the debate about the legal implications of brain research in psychiatric-legal settings. A scientific evaluation of our present practice will form a valid base for forensic assessment that is sensitive to the dynamics of forensic practice as well as for appropriate treatment approaches which reduce reoffending. In this Research Topic, we aimed to add evidence-based and novel data to findings and practices derived from forensic psychiatric research presented hitherto and to introduce the most recent scientific information relevant to forensic psychiatric assessment and treatment.
We welcome manuscripts with a conceptual or methodological focus with the formats of original research, brief research report, review (mini, narrative, or systematic), case report and series, hypothesis and theory, perspective, commentary, or opinion. Studies addressing the following themes are encouraged:
• The interplay between criminal behavior, mental health, and law from a forensic psychiatric viewpoint
• Forensic psychiatric and psychological perspective applied to understanding the triggers of criminal behavior
• Current directions and clinical practice of violence risk assessment
• Correctional and prison psychiatry
• Mentally ill offender treatment and rehabilitation
• Prevention-based approaches for reducing recidivism
