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Abstract
Characteristics unique to forensic psychiatric treatment include coming to terms with the offenses committed, the long duration of treatment and the assessment of the risk of repeat offending. This study describes the views of both patients and staff on the significance of the patient’s offense as a part of forensic psychiatric rehabilitation. Eight forensic psychiatric patients and eight forensic psychiatric nurses from two forensic psychiatric hospitals in Finland participated in this study. Data were gathered by means of thematic interview and analyzed by means of thematic analysis. The findings suggest that patients and professionals alike concur that ascertaining the factors with a bearing on the offense, and working through the offense and the factors leading up to it, constitute an essential aspect of forensic treatment. This, in turn, has a bearing on the planning and administration of a treatment plan consisting of both medical and psychosocial support and interventions intended to enable patients to live independent, fulfilling lives, thus reducing the likelihood of reoffending. The findings of this study can be used as part of the development of international, standardized treatment models for clinical forensic psychiatric practices.
Highlights
Practicing forensic psychiatry requires special legal and criminological knowledge, clinical skills and experience of treatment of often complex and coexistent mental disorders [1]
Patients and professionals concur that an essential aspect of forensic treatment is ascertaining the factors with a bearing on the offense, working through the offense and the factors leading up to it, and the planning and implementation of interventions intended to reduce the likelihood of reoffending (Figure 2)
Our results suggest that patients and professionals concur that an essential aspect of forensic treatment is ascertaining the factors with a bearing on the offense, working through the offense and the factors leading up to it, and the planning and implementation of interventions intended to reduce the likelihood of reoffending by increasing patients’ quality of life
Summary
Practicing forensic psychiatry requires special legal and criminological knowledge, clinical skills and experience of treatment of often complex and coexistent mental disorders [1]. The Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health [2] defines the remit of forensic psychiatric services as follows: forensic mental health services for individuals a) with a mental disorder (including neurodevelopmental disorders) b) who pose, or have posed, risks to others, and c) in the case of which that risk is usually related to their mental disorder. Despite these common denominators, forensic patients are a heterogeneous group in terms of the details of their offense history, psychopathology and risk factors [3]. In 2019, the most common offenses for which people were examined in a court-ordered forensic assessment in Finland were homicides (30%) and other violent acts (40%), while others were mainly arson, sexual offenses, and crimes against property [9]
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