When acting in a forensic role, clinicians—psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, and other medical or mental health practitioners—face the intersection of the legal and medical systems. A number of questions arise: Should they prioritize medical values or legal values when providing expert testimony? How do they serve justice, rather than advocating for one side or the other? How can they adequately address cultural and social factors that may influence individuals' actions, as well as structural biases that affect the system itself?
Forensic Neuropsychiatric Ethics provides a pragmatic approach to ethical dilemmas, outlining decision-making skills for problems not addressed by other guidelines. This volume covers
• The history of forensic psychiatric ethics, forensic ethics theories, and approaches to ethical dilemmas • Ethics considerations and applications for forensic work, including how to ethically write reports, testify, and make use of neuroimaging technologies, psychological test results, and violence risk assessments • Hot-button topics, such as physician-assisted death, abortion, Second Amendment rights, capital cases, the ""duty to warn"" third parties, and involuntary outpatient commitment
With practical guidance in each chapter bolstered by conclusions that reprise the most important information, Forensic Neuropsychiatric Ethics is a pivotal reference for mental health clinicians committed to promoting both justice and respect for individuals while engaging in forensic work.
Edited by:
William Connor Darby MD,
Robert Weinstock
Imprint: American Psychiatric Association Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 15mm
ISBN: 9781615374076
ISBN 10: 1615374078
Pages: 354
Publication Date: 31 March 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Contributors Foreword Chapter 1. The Modern History and Evolution of Forensic Psychiatric Ethics Leading Up to Dialectical Principlism Chapter 2. Dialectical Principlism Chapter 3. Narrative and Ethics in Forensic Psychiatry Chapter 4. Robust Professionalism: Forensic Psychiatry's Identity and Purpose Chapter 5. Ethical Report Writing Chapter 6. Ethical Challenges While Testifying Chapter 7. Ethical Implications for the Use of Neuroscience, Neuroimaging, and Artificial Intelligence in the Courtroom Chapter 8. Ethical Issues in the Forensic Psychiatric Use of Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Chapter 9. How to Interpret the Role of the Forensic Psychiatrist to Promote Ethical Work Chapter 10. Is Impartiality Attainable in Forensic Work? Managing Bias and Subjectivity in Psychiatric Expert Testimony Chapter 11. Death Penalty: Ethics Considerations for Participating in Capital Cases Chapter 12. The Tarasoff Duty to Protect: Unintended Consequences and New Liability Concerns Chapter 13. Balancing Ethical Considerations for Assisted Outpatient Treatment Chapter 14. Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychiatry: Mental Health Firearm Prohibitions Chapter 15. Ethical Challenges When Interacting With Professional Organizations, Governmental Agencies, and Community Mental Health Programs Chapter 16. Ethical Challenges Regarding Informed Consent, Reporting Laws, and Confidentiality Violations Chapter 17. Termination of Pregnancy, Ethics, and Decisional Capacity Chapter 18. Clinical Requests for Hastened Death in Individuals With Mental Illness: An Examination of Advance Directives and Physician Assistance in Dying Chapter 19. Structural and Implicit Bias in Violence Risk Assessments Chapter 20. Structural Racism and Ethics Chapter 21. Priority Setting in the COVID Pandemic: Perspectives From Sweden Index
W. Connor Darby, M.D., is Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Robert Weinstock, M.D., is Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.
