Psychiatric Report

The written report is central to the practice of psychiatry in legal settings. It is required of mental health professionals acting as expert witnesses in criminal cases, civil litigation situations, child custody proceedings and risk assessments. This book provides a theoretical background to psychiatric writing for the law and a practical guide to the preparation of the report. The first section addresses practical and ethical concerns, including the conduct of the forensic psychiatric evaluation, conflicts of interest, record keeping and confidentiality. The second section contains practical and detailed advice on preparing various types of report, including reports for use in criminal and civil litigation, civil commitment hearings and child custody proceedings. A final section covers special issues arising during report preparation including the use of psychological tests and the detection of malingering. This is an essential guide for anyone required to write a psychiatric report.

Winner of Manfred S. Guttmacher Award 2013

“'This textbook is exceptional because it presents very practical components of the work of forensic psychiatry within clear understandings of forensic thinking, logic, ethics, and communication. In addition, I am certain that this generation of forensic psychiatrists will likewise gain from its depth, detail, and quality teachings on the entire process of generating a forensic report. It is rich; it is derived from experience meshed with a sense of ethics and attention to quality. It should be a required reading not only for forensic trainees but also for those in forensic practice; as we continuously learn and improve - this book can help us to do so!' Avram H. Mack, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease”

'I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well put together, practical, and full of useful advice … [It] will be a welcome addition to the library of all those who practice forensic psychiatry and of teachers and students of forensic psychiatry for whom this should be a seminal text. Many of the remaining practising clinical psychiatrists, including myself, could learn a lot from this volume, if only about the simplicity and brevity of any report writing.' Richard Balon, Annals of Clinical Psychiatry

'It is hard to find fault with the book. The editors have achieved their goal of providing an informative and comprehensive guide to writing forensic reports. [This volume] is recommended to forensic practitioners who want a single text to serve as a reference and a guide to their report writing.' The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

Alec Buchanan is Professor, Division of Law and Psychiatry, Yale University Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA. Michael A. Norko is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Law and Psychiatry, Yale University Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA.

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