Abstract
In Japan, new legislation regarding forensic mental health, namely, the Act on Medical Care and Treatment for Persons Who Have Caused Serious Cases under the Condition of Insanity (Medical Treatment and Supervision Act (MTS Act)) was enforced in 2005, although community mental health care remains largely unchanged. We surveyed local clinical psychiatrists by questionnaire to gather information on the influence of the MTS Act on clinical mental health practice. We sent a paper questionnaire to almost all the psychiatrists in the Chiba prefecture, 56% of whom (N = 306) responded. The participants felt that the MTS Act had minimal direct impact on community mental health care. However, some relatively new schemes such as a multiple disciplinary team approach or supervised outpatient care are given more attention than before. These results suggest that this new forensic mental health legislation may assist in the spread of new paradigms into clinical practice.
Highlights
The need for sophisticated forensic mental health practices has increased, as global trends move toward the deinstitutionalization of patients with mental disorders [1]
Thirty-nine respondents held a judgment physician’s license for the Medical Treatment and Supervision (MTS) Act. Three of these respondents had no professional experience of the MTS Act as a mental health reviewer, while 3 had used it in excess of ten times
The task of assessing for official involuntary hospitalization (OIH) seems to fall to a limited number of psychiatrists who are actively engaged in mental health practice
Summary
The need for sophisticated forensic mental health practices has increased, as global trends move toward the deinstitutionalization of patients with mental disorders [1]. Japan had no specific legal provision for offenders with mental disorders [3]. Such offenders were treated under the Mental Health and Welfare (MHW) Law. Such offenders were treated under the Mental Health and Welfare (MHW) Law According to this legislation, patients with mental disorders who were potentially dangerous and capable of harming themselves or others were hospitalized under a prefectural government order. Patients with mental disorders who were potentially dangerous and capable of harming themselves or others were hospitalized under a prefectural government order This system of official involuntary hospitalization (OIH) is completely independent of the criminal justice system [4]. Some psychiatrists suggested the need for special hospitals with a secure structure and adequate staff to
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