General clinicians conduct most forensic psychiatric examinations and provide most psychiatric testimony. Yet these clinicians often receive little or no training in forensic psychiatry, leaving them ill prepared to meet the inevitable ethical and legal challenges that arise. Both timely and informative, this textbook is the first reference designed and written for both the general clinician and the experienced forensic psychiatrist. Here, 28 recognized experts introduce the forensic subjects that commonly arise in clinical practice. Unique in the literature, this outstanding collection covers

• Introductory subjects—Organized psychiatry and forensic practice; the legal system and the distinctions between therapeutic and forensic roles; business aspects of starting a forensic practice; the role of the expert witness; the differences between the ethics of forensic and clinical psychiatry; the use of DSM in the courtroom; and issues that arise in working with attorneys
• Civil litigation—The standard of care and psychiatric malpractice; civil competency; issues in conducting evaluations for personal injury litigation; personal injury claims of psychiatric harm; and disability determination and other employment-related psychiatric evaluations
• Criminal justice—Competency to stand trial and insanity evaluations; the use of actuarial and clinical assessments in the evaluation of sexual offenders; psychiatry in correctional settings; and the relationship between psychiatry and law enforcement, including mental health training, crisis negotiation, and fitness for duty evaluations
• Special topics—Assessment of malingering; evaluations of children and adolescents; violence risk assessments; the use of prediction instruments to determine "dangerousness"; and the evolving standard of expert psychological testimony

Each chapter is organized around case examples and includes a review of key concepts, practical guidelines, and references for further reading. A study guide is also available for use in teaching, in studying, and in preparing for the forensic board examination.

This practical textbook makes this interesting specialty accessible to trainees and seasoned practitioners. With its detailed glossary of legal terms, subject index, and index of legal cases, it will be a welcome addition to all psychiatric residency and forensic fellowship programs.

Reviews
“Drs. Simon and Gold deliver more than they promise: a broad set of practice guidelines for the clinician who becomes involved in forensic work, yet fresh enough and deep enough to prove useful to the most experienced specialist. They've assembled a fine team of authors who provide reasoned guidance about contentious issues.”—Park Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine

“The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Forensic Psychiatry provides an outstanding reference for clinicians whose practice includes forensic assessments or the management of legal issues that arise when providing mental health care. This textbook consists of 23 separate chapters written by leading experts in the field of forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology. This book has a logical subdivision of chapter topics into four areas: introduction to forensic psychiatry, civil litigation, issues in criminal justice, and special topics. Areas of interest included in the section on special topics include forensic issues related to malingering, children and adolescents, personal violence, understanding prediction instruments, and the evolving standard in forensic psychological testing. The individual chapters include relevant case examples that illustrate important psychiatric and legal concepts, a summary of key points, and useful practice recommendations. This textbook provides comprehensive topic overviews with practical guidelines useful for both the forensic novice and the more experienced forensic clinician. The editors have done a masterful job of providing the reader with easily understood information on a wide range of forensic topics.”—Charles Scott, M.D., Chief, Division of Psychiatry and the Law, University of California, Davis

“Drs. Simon and Gold, both experienced forensic psychiatrists, have gathered a group of the best forensic psychiatrists in the United States to contribute to this textbook. Each is an experienced teacher and author and conveys information in a direct and easily understandable manner. I have had the pleasure of knowing all of them and have listened to them lecture or have read their work. I don't know of any other collection of such knowledgeable authors in one place that so readily facilitates the learning or review of this stimulating subspecialty.”—Jonas R. Rappeport, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry (Emeritus), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Retired), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland