From The New England Journal of Medicine
What started off as a project under the auspices of the Tri-State Chapter of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, in the mid-1970s, has blossomed into Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry. Now in its second edition, and still under the editorial guidance of Richard Rosner, this book continues to be the standard reference textbook in the field. Over the years, the scope of forensic psychiatry has widened, and a major strength of this book is that it succinctly covers the major subspecialties of forensic practice, including civil law, family and domestic relations, correctional psychiatry, and the evaluation and treatment of criminals. Such varied topics as malingering, psychiatric abuse, and head injury are clustered in 26 chapters in a section entitled "Special Clinical Issues in Forensic Psychiatry." A particular strength is the detailed examination of ethical guidelines, liability issues, confidentiality, the duty to protect, and sexual misconduct in therapist-patient relationships. Despite the large number of contributors, the writing is consistently good. This book is not just theoretical but, rather, is interspersed with many practical gems. Chapters on writing forensic reports, preparing courtroom testimony, addressing violations of treatment boundaries, and doing legal research online are some of the many examples of its practical applications. My criticisms are minor. If the book is read through Canadian eyes, its focus is American, not North American. Although interesting, all the landmark cases cited are from U.S. courts. A brief examination of important Canadian and British cases (other than the historic M'Naghten case, involving political assassination during the reign of Queen Victoria) would have rounded out this book. However, it still remains valuable to forensic practitioners outside the United States. Another criticism is that despite the introductory statement that every chapter in this second edition is "an updated, revised and expanded version of what appeared in the original edition," the chapter entitled "Terrorism and Forensic Psychiatry" is essentially unchanged. This is disappointing, because there have been many open source articles on the psychology of terrorism since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The authors repeat their preachy message about forensic psychiatrists in law enforcement while failing to recognize that many practitioners who are employed in operational policing and in the fields of counterterrorism and intelligence are not gun-loving "wannabes" and can continue to follow the oath of Hippocrates. These minor criticisms aside, this book remains the gold standard and is an important reference work in forensic psychiatry. It is well written and well presented and is a must both for experienced forensic psychiatrists and psychologists and for those in training; it is also invaluable for forensic social workers, forensic nurses, lawyers, and the judiciary. Peter I. Collins, M.D.
Copyright © 2004 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.
Review
Simply stated, this book finally organizees the subject matter of our sub-speciality in the way it should be done. Probably the most useful reference book for any specialist in this field.
Bulletin of American Academic Psychiatry Law (Revi
.... based on the wealth of information provided, it is a very useful guide on individual problems and isolated aspects of forensic psychiatry even for the European readers, although a more intensive study of secondary literature should not be dispensed with after scutinizing the chapters on "Principles and Practice of forensic psychiatry".
International Journal of Legal Medicine Volume 119
The first edition of this book was an intellectual landmark...the authors have to run as hard as they can to stay where they are. They have done that, and the second edition remains a landmark.
American Psychiatric Association
Dr Rosner, as the editor, has pulled together a diverse set of 105 author experts in 92 chapters for another winning production. It is the kind of publication that I longed for in my training days and still turn to when searching out an area and wanting a review chapter.
Journal of the American Psychiatric Association
Book Description
The revised and expanded second edition of the highly successful Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry is the essential text for all residents and practitioners in forensic psychiatry and those preparing for the specialty examination in Forensic Psychiatry of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
About the Author
Richard Rosner, MD is Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine; Director, Forensic Psychiatry Residency, New York University Medicine Center; and Medical Director, Forensic Psychiatry Clinic, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, USA.
