Grayce P. Storey
Forensic psychology or forensic psychiatry concerns the area where psychology and psychiatry and the law interact. In the field of forensic psychiatry of psychology, there are two matters of emphasis: first is to emphasize the psychological nature of the interaction; and second is to point out the forensic nature of the interaction in both courts and corrections, because it occasionally causes public debate.
When a psychiatrist examines a criminal case, he must first be certain that he is not trapping the patient into making damaging admissions. Most courts refuse to consider a psychiatric examination as a from of compulsory self incrimination. The doctor informs the accused that he had been asked to make an examination and the accused does not have to answer any type of the questions and if the accused submits without objection, then such testimony is admissible.
It is important that the patient’s comments be recorded verbatim. These notes will serve in supporting conclusions and maybe in the report.
All defendants must undergo a physical examination with emphasis on a neuralgic survey listed as of the commoner syndromes picked up in an examination: Alcoholism, Hearing defects, Neurosyphilis, Visual defects, Scars, Senility, Epilepsy, Endocrine defects, Drug addiction, Cerebral Arteriosclerosis, Hyperthyroidism, and Hypothyroidism.
The physical examination should precede, follow, or accompany the psychiatric interview depending on the circumstances of the case and the nature of the doctor’s relationship to the defendant. If a mental examination is necessity, most courts today are sophisticated enough to recognize that a mental examination does require the accumulation of historical, educational, vocational, and social facts from various sources as well as dialoguing with the patient.
A psychiatric examination should be comprehensive enough to assure an answer to the following questions:
1. patients general behavior
2. state of consciousness
3. psycho motor activity
4. mood
5. orientation
6. memory
7. hallucinations
8. sense of remorse
9. delusions
10. insight
11. intelligence
12. personality
There is a personal checklist the psychiatrist should be aware prior to appearing in court and the following points should be documented for prompt answers:
1. date graduated from medical school
2. place and date of internship
3. place, nature, and date of residence
4. other specialty training
5. state licensed and when
6. hospital affiliations
7. experience with this kind of case
8. special training
9. board diplomas
10. special society membership
11. books and papers published
12. agency affiliation