What is forensic psychiatry?
First the basics–psychiatrists differ from psychologists primarily in that the former has a medical degree and thus may prescribe medication. Psychologists are Ph.D.’s. Both psychiatrists and psychologists are trained in psychotherapy, or “talk therapy”. Psychologists tend to have greater expertise in psychometric testing such as the MMPI or Rorschach tests. There are other practitioners of psychotherapy such as licensed clinical workers and marriage, family and child counselors. Psychiatrists attend four years of post-graduate education following medical school in order to become board eligible. Approximately half of psychiatrists who have completed their training go on to become certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Forensic psychiatry is the application of medical mental health expertise for legal purposes. It differs from clinical psychiatry in that the evaluator is acting in a non-treating role as an arm of the attorney, judge or other party to answer a med
Forensic psychiatry is a branch of medicine which focuses on the interface of law and mental health. It may include psychiatric consultation in a wide variety of legal matters (sometimes with expert testimony), as well as clinical work with perpetrators and victims. This web page focuses on forensic work with attorneys, courts, or other parties involved in actual or potential litigation (going to court in a civil or criminal matter). Incidentally, a few readers may confuse forensic psychiatry with forensic pathology. Forensic pathologists (one kind at least) are the physicians who perform autopsies, a different medical specialty altogether. So don’t ask me (as a few people actually have), “how do you do psychiatry on dead people.
It is a medical subspecialty that focuses on the overlapping psychiatric issues with civil, criminal and administrative law. This subspecialty also focuses on the evaluation and treatment of individuals involved with the legal system, incarcerated in jails, prisons, and forensic psychiatry hospitals.
Forensic psychiatry is a medical subspecialty that includes research and clinical practice in the many areas in which psychiatry is applied to legal issues. While some forensic psychiatrists may specialize exclusively in legal issues, almost all psychiatrists may, at some point, have to work within one of the many areas in which the mental health and legal system overlap. AAPL welcomes both the forensic specialist and the general psychiatrist who seeks information and professional support in those domains in which psychiatry an the law share a common boundary. These include: • Violence • Criminal responsibility • Competence, civil and criminal • Child custody and visitation • Psychic injury • Mental disability • Malpractice • Confidentiality • Involuntary treatment • Correctional psychiatry • Juvenile justice • Ethics and human rights The Goals of AAPL The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law promotes scientific and educational activities in forensic psychiatry by: • Facilitating
