Forensic psychiatry

Although memory can be hazy at times, it is often assumed that memories of violent or otherwise stressful events are so well encoded that they are effectively indelible and that confidently retrieved memories are almost certainly accurate. However, findings from basic psychological research and neuroscience studies indicate that memory is a reconstructive process that is susceptible to distortion. In the courtroom, even minor memory distortions can have severe consequences that are partly driven by common misunderstandings about memory--for example, that memory is more veridical than it may actually be...

This study describes the development of the WAVR-21, a structured professional judgment guide for the assessment of workplace targeted violence, and presents initial interrater reliability results. The 21-item instrument codes both static and dynamic risk factors and change, if any, over time. Five critical items or red flag indicators assess violent motives, ideation, intent, weapons skill, and pre-attack planning. Additional items assess the contribution of mental disorder, negative personality factors, situational factors, and a protective factor...

In the past 8 years, the US Supreme Court has issued landmark opinions in three cases that involved the criminal culpability of juveniles. In the most recent case, in 2012, a ruling prohibited states from mandating life without parole for crimes committed by minors. In these cases, the Court drew on scientific studies of the adolescent brain in concluding that adolescents, by virtue of their inherent psychological and neurobiological immaturity, are not as responsible for their behaviour as adults. This article discusses the Court's rationale in these cases and the role of scientific evidence about adolescent brain development in its decisions...

The origin of the psychological autopsy was in the late 1950s and the result of a collaboration between the Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office and the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center. It was conceptualized as a thorough retrospective analysis of the decedent's state of mind and intention at the time of death. It was used initially in "equivocal" deaths where the manner of death was possibly either suicide or accident. Later, it was used in cases where a party (primarily family members) protested the Medical Examiner-Coroner's suicide determination...

This article discusses the prevalence of feigning in both criminal and civil settings and various psychological assessments useful in detecting feigning. The focus of this information is on the various psychological assessments available to assist clinicians in making a determination of whether or not an individual is feigning and concludes with the recommendations that multiple assessments are necessary to improve the sensitivity of detection methods.

This article provides a guide that is important to remember in evaluating a criminal defendant's amnesia claim. Important concepts to understand regarding memory formation, memory systems, proposed causes of amnesia, reasons why amnesia claims may be true or false, and important strategies to implement as part of the evaluation process are reviewed. Structured assessment approaches are critical components of amnesia evaluations and generally require detailed questioning, review of collateral records, medical and neurologic workups, psychological testing, neuropsychological testing, and specific malingering assessments...