Forensic Mental Health Evaluations In The Digital Age

This is the first book devoted to the use of social media and other internet-derived data in forming forensic clinical opinions of behavior. Designed for mental health practitioners, it outlines the challenges and the benefits of incorporating digital information in forensic assessments. It offers best practice guidelines geared to both criminal and civil psycho-legal questions. Each chapter includes a brief overview of the psycho-legal issues, clinical applications of consulting internet-based data, ethical and legal considerations and real life, de-identified case examples. This book provides guidance to the clinician in an emerging technological environment in which there are few resources, and ensures a more scientific and legally sound practice.

This is the first book devoted to the use of social media and other internet-derived data in forming forensic clinical opinions of behavior. Designed for mental health practitioners, it outlines the challenges and the benefits of incorporating digital information in forensic assessments. It offers best practice guidelines geared to both criminal and civil psycho-legal questions. Each chapter includes a brief overview of the psycho-legal issues, clinical applications of consulting internet-based data, ethical and legal considerations and real life, de-identified case examples. This book provides guidance to the clinician in an emerging technological environment in which there are few resources, and ensures a more scientific and legally sound practice.

Forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) continues to develop and expand as a specialization. Since the publication of the First Edition of Forensic Mental Health Assessment: A Casebook over a decade ago, there have been a number of significant changes in the applicable law, ethics, science, and practice that have shaped the conceptual and empirical underpinnings of FMHA. The Second Edition of Forensic Mental Health Assessment is thoroughly updated in light of the developments and changes in the field, while still keeping the unique structure of presenting cases, detailed reports, and specific teaching points on a wide range of topics. Unlike anything else in the literature, it provides genuine (although disguised) case material, so trainees as well as legal and mental health professionals can review how high-quality forensic evaluation reports are written; it features contributions from leading experts in forensic psychology and psychiatry, providing samples of work in their particular areas of specialization; and it discusses case material in the larger context of broad foundational principles and specific teaching points, making it a valuable resource for teaching, training, and continuing education. Now featuring 50 real-world cases, this new edition covers topics including criminal responsibility, sexual offending risk evaluation, federal sentencing, capital sentencing, capacity to consent to treatment, personal injury, harassment and discrimination, guardianship, juvenile commitment, transfer and decertification, response style, expert testimony, evaluations in a military context, and many more. It will be invaluable for anyone involved in assessments for the courts, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and attorneys, as well as for FMHA courses.

This practical and comprehensive casebook illustrates principles of forensic assessment using relevant real-world case material. The author's report and commentary povide "teaching points" that are built around actual case reports from expert forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. Including 43 cases in 23 chapters, the volume examines a broad range of civil, criminal, and family legal questions. Topics include Miranda rights waiver, competence to act as one's own attorney, competence to stand trial, juvenile commitment, sanity at the time of the offense, child custody, termination of parental rights, guardianship, and malpractice.

The field of psychology-law is extremely broad, encompassing a strikingly large range of topic areas in both applied psychology and experimental psychology. Importantly, both applied and experimental psychologists have made meaningful contributions to the psychology-law field, and each of these domains includes a range of well-developed topic areas with robust empirical support. Despite the continued and rapid growth of the field, there is no current and comprehensive resource that provides coverage of the major topic areas in the psychology-law field. The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Law fills this gap and offers an up-to-date, scholarly, and broad overview of psychology-law topics. David DeMatteo and Kyle C. Scherr have brought together a diverse group of highly esteemed applied and experimental researchers and scholars to discuss key topics in the field from both national and international perspectives. The volume is broadly divided into three sections: foundational psychology-law, applied psychology-law, and experimental-psychology-law. The Foundational Psychology-Law section includes chapters that are relevant to both applied psychology and experimental psychology, making a unique contribution that ties together the applied and experimental aspects of the field. The Applied Psychology-Law section provides coverage of topics related to the provision of forensic services (broadly defined) in criminal and civil legal contexts. Lastly, the Experimental Psychology-Law section covers empirically examined legal system issues and outcomes related to victims, offenders, witnesses, attorneys, and triers of fact. With comprehensive coverage of both applied and experimental topic areas and chapters written by a diverse group of well-established psychology-law scholars and emerging future leaders, this Handbook presents emerging, cutting-edge topics in psychology-law that will continue to grow and meaningfully shape future research programs and policy reform.

"Given that many of us (clinicians) have had relatively little or no exposure to guns on personal or professional levels, this chapter is devoted to providing a general overview of firearms and firearm-related concepts. First, we briefly review the history of guns, including their use by military and law enforcement personnel, as well as civilians. We then address the prevalence of guns in pop-culture and public sentiment associated with firearm-related issues. In the second section of this chapter, we discuss the importance of developing professional and cultural competence, including but not limited to being able to identify firearm-related subcultures and related factors that may be relevant to our patients. Lastly, we provide an overview of guns as a matter of hardware; namely, how they work, various types of guns and ammunition, and gun safety principles. Throughout the chapter, we stress the benefits of becoming familiar with gun-specific concepts, such as to facilitate rapport with certain clients and to improve clinical decision-making across the board. Indeed, this entire book has been designed with these ideals in mind. We also weave in case examples throughout the book to illustrate how various considerations may play out and to demonstrate the applicability of various firearm-related principles in our clinical practices"--

Written by authors with extensive experience in the field and in the classroom, Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application, Sixth Edition demonstrates how to analyze psychological knowledge and research findings and apply these findings to the civil and criminal justice systems. Focusing on research-based forensic practice and practical application, the authors use real-life examples and case law discussions to define and explore forensic psychology. Students are introduced to emerging specializations within forensic psychology, including investigative psychology, family forensic psychology, and police and public safety psychology. Research related to bias, diversity, and discrimination is included throughout the text to give students a multicultural perspective that is critical to the successful practice of forensic psychology. Included with this title: Instructor Online Resources: Access online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

This groundbreaking core textbook offers a comprehensive overview of different approaches to the causes, assessment and treatment of psychological disorders. The book includes important diagnostic frameworks, including the new DSM-5-TR, ICD-11 and PDM, but also widens the scope of coverage beyond mainstream psychiatric models to include psychological, biological, historical, sociocultural and therapeutic approaches. Contemporary and well-balanced, this book provides an even-handed and holistic foundation, allowing students to develop a strong critical mindset while retaining a robust research-driven orientation. This new edition: - features an innovative structure organized by presenting problem, examining each in a broad context of traditional psychiatric and alternative approaches - is grounded in lived experience of disorder: shining a spot-light on service-users through 'Case Examples' scenarios and 'Lived Experience' perspective pieces - Supports student learning and critical thinking through engaging 'Controversial Question' and 'In Depth' features - Features an attractive new layout and plenty of colour illustrations - Is supported by impressive online support features including lecture slides, a test bank, instructor manual, video library, student study questions, self-test quizzes, flashcard activities and more. Now thoroughly updated to include the latest developments in research and clinical practice, along with enhanced in-text and online pedagogy to support instructors and learners, this book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students on abnormal psychology, psychopathology, mental health or clinical psychology courses.