Preface

Forensic psychiatry often is defined as those areas of psychiatry that interface with the law. Although this definition provides a concise and technical summary of this psychiatric subspecialty, the breadth and far reaches of this field cannot be overstated. Key principles of forensic psychiatry form the foundation for state-of-the-art practice of psychiatry and all of its subspecialties. Such principles include conducting assessments and treatment recommendations based on evidence-based medicine, continuously striving for honesty and objectivity when conducting evaluations and providing care, understanding the ethical and legal duties to provide safe and effective treatment, maintaining an up-to-date knowledge base to continuously practice within the standard of care expected, and respecting the dignity and autonomy of those patients we serve. Forensic psychiatry is not an isolated specialty that the general psychiatrist or other psychiatric subspecialist can simply ignore or give only casual attention. Quite the contrary. In this era of increasing patients' rights regarding the care they receive and legal regulation of the care we provide, forensic psychiatry represents the very foundation underlying the structure of mental health care.

The contents of this issue are designed to solidify that foundation for general psychiatrists, psychiatric subspecialists, and forensic psychiatrists in diverse arenas. Because of the extent of topics reviewed in this issue, multiple unique populations are highlighted to include women, children and adolescents, soldiers, and individuals with substance use disorders. All of the submissions are relevant for practicing psychiatrists who conduct assessments in civil and criminal litigation. Important articles that focus primarily on civil areas include an overview of psychiatric malpractice, fitness-for-duty evaluations, and the application of psychological autopsies. Several articles are relevant to both civil and criminal evaluations as emphasized in the articles discussing the detection of malingered PTSD and substance misuse in forensic psychiatry. With increasing attention to the emotional impact of war on our United States soldiers involved in battles across the globe, the section on military forensic psychiatry serves to educate nonmilitary providers on issues faced by citizens in uniform.

The assessment of dangerousness in various populations is well described in the articles on psychopathy, juveniles and school violence, and inpatient violence. Legal consequences of violent behavior are also reviewed through the three separate contributions that discuss correctional psychiatry, female offenders, and death row inmates. This volume concludes with an article that imagines the future of forensic psychiatry that may assist in planning how we train the psychiatrists of today for the work of tomorrow.

I wish to conclude by expressing my sincere appreciation to all of the authors who have done a superb job in translating vast amounts of information into practical guidelines for us all. I also wish to thank David Spagnolo, University of California Davis Editorial Assistant and Forensic Coordinator, who provided amazing technical support for this collection of articles. We hope you find each of these contributions a solid stone for improving the foundation of your practice.