Description
Book SynopsisEthical medical practice and treatment in psychiatry are based on the concept of first do no harm. However, this cannot, and does not, apply to forensic cases where there is no doctorpatient relationship and the forensic psychiatrist may indeed cause harm to the examinee. In this book, Robert Sadoff analyzes the ethical issues affecting forensic psychiatric practice, especially those promulgated by the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. Within those guidelines, he looks at individual bias, vulnerability of the examinee, and potential harm to the mental health professional. The book discusses each of the procedures of the forensic expert separately with respect to minimizing harm. It has been written with an international audience in mind and features chapters reviewing the European and UK perspectives, by Emanuele Valenti and John Baird, respectively.
Robert Sadoff addresses the long-term harm that can be either avoided or minimized through careful planning and application
Trade Review
"Sadoff's book is a vital contribution to the psychiatric literature, as it fills a need unaddressed by more theoretically oriented works. Anyone interested in mental health or medical ethics will find this text worthwhile, especially as it contains an introduction for lay readers explaining basic forensic roles and functions.The book is most valuable, however, to forensic mental health practioners, who will benefit from its practical instruction aimed at minimizing harm." (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, December 2012)
"Sadoff has crafted an admirable mix of facts and anecdotes, presented in a manner
that could help undergraduates get a taste for the realities of forensic practice, help graduate
students connect the theoretical with the practical, and even provide veteran practitioners
with helpful reminders and provocative food for thought." (PsycCRITIQUES, 23 November 2011)
"It will serve as a useful resource and is a welcome addition to my library." (Doody's, 11 November 2011)
"While Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychiatry appears to be targeted at the forensic psychiatrist, as emphasised in the title, I believe that it can be valuable reading for all forensic mental health professionals. . . Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychiatry makes practical ethics easy reading. . . This book is an invaluable guide to ethical practice." (Journal of Mental Health, 1 October 2011)
Table of ContentsAbout the Authors. Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
List of Contributors.
Part One Ethics in Forensic Psychiatry.
1 Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychiatry in the United States (Robert L. Sadoff).
2 Minimizing Harm: A Perspective from Forensic Psychiatry in the United Kingdom (John A. Baird).
3 Mental Health and Human Rights in Forensic Psychiatry in the European Union (Emanuele Valenti and Luis Fernando Barrios Flores).
Part Two The Practice of Forensic Psychiatry.
4 The Forensic Psychiatric Examination (Robert L. Sadoff).
5 The Forensic Psychiatric Report (Robert L. Sadoff).
6 Expert Psychiatric Testimony (Robert L. Sadoff).
Part Three Vulnerable Populations in the Justice System.
7 Children and Adolescents (Robert L. Sadoff).
8 The Elderly, the Mentally Retarded, and the Severely Mentally Disabled (Robert L. Sadoff).
9 Victims and Predators of Sexual Violence (Robert L. Sadoff).
10 Immigrants: A Vulnerable Population (Solange Margery Bertoglia).
11 Prisoners and Death Row Inmates (Robert L. Sadoff).
12 Forensic Psychiatric Experts: Risks and Liability (Robert L. Sadoff).
13 Risks of Harm to the Forensic Expert: the Legal Perspective (Donna L. Vanderpool).
Index.
