The Psychiatric Report: Principles and Practice of Forensic WritingAlec Buchanan, Michael A. Norko 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. |
Contents
1 | |
11 | |
2 Preparation | 22 |
3 Confidentiality and record keeping | 35 |
4 Ethics | 56 |
5 Writing a narrative | 68 |
6 Draftsmanship | 81 |
Section 2 Structure and content | 93 |
12 Child custody | 158 |
disability and fitness | 172 |
Section 3 Special issues | 187 |
15 Incorporating psychological testing | 201 |
16 Reasonable medical certainty | 214 |
17 Violence risk assessment | 224 |
18 Malingering | 240 |
19 Psychiatry and ethics in UK criminal sentencing | 254 |
Other editions - View all
The Psychiatric Report: Principles and Practice of Forensic Writing Alec Buchanan,Michael A. Norko No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
AAPL Academy of Psychiatry Alec Buchanan American Academy American Psychiatric American Psychiatric Association Appelbaum attorney Baranoski behavior Candilis Chapter child child custody civil commitment clinical competence to stand conclusions confidentiality context court criminal cross-examination custody evaluations Daubert defendant defendant’s described diagnosis disability discussion Doctor Jones documents ethical evaluee’s evidence evidence-based medicine examination example expert witness factors federal forensic evaluation forensic practice forensic psychiatrist forensic report formulation function Gutheil hospital impairment individual individual’s insanity insanity defense interview involved issue Journal of Psychiatry jurisdiction litigation malingering Medicine mental disorder mental health mental status examination narrative Norko one’s paraphilia parent patient person physician physician impairment Pollack principles privilege professional psychiatric evaluation psychiatric expert psychological testing psychologist question reasonable medical certainty relevant requested retaining attorney risk assessment role sex offenders sexual specific stand trial standard statutes symptoms testamentary capacity treatment violence written report