The interface between general and forensic psychiatry: a historical perspective

Abstract

SummaryMental disorder and criminality are separate entities but some people with a mental disorder commit criminal offences and some criminals have a mental disorder. Before 1800 there was no separate category of mentally disordered offenders (referred to as criminal lunatics until 1948) in UK legislation. The provision of facilities for mentally disordered offenders in Britain and Ireland overlapped with, but was also separate from, provision for the mentally ill generally. The interface between general and forensic psychiatry is an area of tension and of collaboration. To understand how contemporary general and forensic psychiatry interact, it is useful to have an understanding of how factors have evolved overtime.Learning Objectives•Have an understanding of the evolution of general and forensic psychiatry in the UK over the past 200 years.•Comprehend the similarities and differences between general and forensic psychiatry.•Be aware of some of the roots of conflict between general and forensic psychiatry.