The world is increasingly complex, but the way we communicate doesn’t have to be. From Academia to Practice: Why It Matters bridges the gap between mental health academia and science to practical take-away messages. This series will be of interest for healthcare professional audiences of all disciplines as well as those working in probation and parole, and legal service fields, as well as people who are interested in what’s happening at the intersection of mental health and the law.
These regular news posts will provide short and condensed plain language summaries of our International Forensic Psychiatry Lecture Series talks and other academic pieces from the Forensic Psychiatry Institute.
The lecture series is produced by Drs. Gary Chaimowitz, Mini Mamak, Heather Moulden, and Sébastien Prat, and Knowledge Translation Specialist Diana Marginean. From Academia to Practice is produced by Virginia St-Denis and Diana Maginean.
But what is plain language?
Simply put, plain language is any “communication in which wording, structure and design are so clear that intended readers (3.2) can easily
— find what they need,
— understand what they find, and
— use that information”
(ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language — Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines).
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Program Shows Promise for Treating Substance Misuse in Forensic Psychiatric Setting
Substance misuse is common among patients in the forensic mental health system, and this complicates their recovery and community reintegration. A semi-structured manualized treatment program (SSMTP) is showing promise for treating patients who misuse drugs and alcohol and have multiple mental disorders in a forensic mental health setting. Research has found that SSMTP increased recognition of a problem and steps taken toward substance use cessation in this population. However, the program may be more effective for some substances than others.Continue reading→
Treatment for People Who Commit Sexual Offences: What Makes It Effective?
Treatment for people who commit sexual offences is aimed at lowering the risk that they will commit offences in the future. But research studies over decades show mixed results for long-term prevention of offences. Some aspects of treatment show positive results. But more research is needed to find which elements of treatment help people who have committed sexual offences avoid that behaviour in future. Such research could help improve treatment programs as well as avoid reoffending and the costs to the criminal justice system that sexual offences cause.Continue reading→
Suicide Prevention for People in Prison
Limited resources often result in prison staff conducting mental health assessments quickly and individuals self-reporting to staff who are not mental health specialists. This non-clinical type of assessment can miss important context and risk, protective, and precipitating factors. As a result, the process may not identify individuals who are at higher risk for self-harm or suicide, leading to missed opportunities to provide appropriate support and care.Continue reading→
Acute Stabilization Unit: An Eclectic Model
People with complex and acute mental health needs face a treatment gap in correctional settings compared with the community. They are often placed in segregation or solitary confinement to reduce risk to themselves and others, which may make recovery more difficult. St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is testing a new model of care to reduce that treatment gap. Treatment in the acute stabilization unit is improving patient engagement in therapeutic programs and routine care and contributing to symptom remission and recovery in some patients.Continue reading→
Helping Patients in Forensic Mental Health Feel Motivated and Ready for Treatment
A lack of motivation to change is one of the main barriers to successful treatment for individuals involved in the criminal justice and forensic mental health systems. A two-month group therapy program helped patients in a forensic mental health hospital feel more motivated and ready for treatment. While such preparation programs have been studied in other settings, a recent study is the first in forensic mental health.Continue reading→
Reducing Reincarceration Among People with Mental Illness
The direct effect of mental illness on the “prison revolving door” is relatively small, but its indirect impact can be significant when combined with other risk factors. The chief factors that amplify the effects of mental illness are homelessness and substance use. Several gaps exist in how these and other factors are addressed, both before and after people with mental illness are released from prison. The evidence is still mixed, but there is growing agreement that integrated, multi-agency programs that begin before release and continue after can reduce the likelihood of return to prison.Continue reading→
Harnessing the Power of Research Through Plain Language Summaries
The more people can understand your research, the more likely they are to use it in their practice or cite it in their research. The key is to use plain language and create plain language summaries.Continue reading→
Considering Diagnosis Versus Symptoms During the Offence in Evaluating Criminal Responsibility
When psychiatrists and psychologists conducted forensic assessments to determine criminal responsibility in Norway from 2009 to 2018, they relied more on the person’s diagnosis than symptoms during the offence. However, using information from many sources and the person’s behaviour during the offence should be used in evaluations.Continue reading→
ADHD and Sexuality
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) awareness, understanding ADHD’s impact on sexuality, and neurodivergent friendly interventions are key to successfully treating people with ADHD who have sexually offended. Effectively diagnosing and treating ADHD is an essential first step to that success. During her presentation at the International Forensic Psychiatry Lecture Series, Dr. Lyne Piché discussed why the unique characteristics of ADHD should be considered when working with people who have sexually offended.Continue reading→
Self-Harm in Forensic Mental Health Patients with Intellectual Disabilities
Forensic mental health patients with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have a higher risk of self-harming than those without IDs. Female patients and patients with a history of self-harm are at even greater risk. Identifying this elevated risk early can help forensic mental health professionals act sooner and better support patients before they self-harm. In a recent study published in BMC Psychiatry, Dr. Mark Mohan Kaggwa and colleagues examined the prevalence of self-harm among forensic mental health patients with IDs in Ontario. The researchers reviewed each patient’s demographic, clinical, and forensic history to identify the characteristics most closely associated with self-harm.Continue reading→