Forensic Psychiatry

This selective introduces the fascinating interaction between mental health and the criminal justice system. The objective will be to familiarise students with those aspects of forensic mental health which will be of general applicability in psychiatric practice, as the interaction between mental illness and offending is important for everyone working in mental health. The selective will acquaint students with the nature of the relationships between mental disorder and deviant (including criminal) behaviours. It will provide an introduction to current evidence-based approaches to assessing and managing risk of future violence, and will address treatment and in secure hospital and custodial settings. Finally we will look at specific forms of problem behaviour, such as sexual offending, to illustrate the interactions between deviant and potentially damaging behaviours and disorders of the mind.