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.

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.

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.

Weapon Use During Index Offences

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Why Dual Harm Demands Integrated Care in Forensic Psychiatry

Dual harm refers to when a patient harms themself and acts aggressively toward others or objects. When these behaviours occur together, patients often need closer monitoring and more coordinated care.

A study published in PLoS One by Mark Mohan Kaggwa, Bailea Erb, Sébastien Prat, Arianna Davids, John Bradford, Gary Chaimowitz, and Andrew Olagunju examined which factors were associated with dual harm among forensic patients in Ontario. Their findings highlight the need for integrated, trauma-informed care planning that addresses self-harm and aggression together.

Forensic Psychiatry Patients More Likely to Self-Harm After Harming Healthcare Workers, Support Staff, or Another Patient

Self-harm is a serious concern in forensic psychiatry settings, being more common there than in the general population. Recent research shows that the risk of self-harm depends more on who the patient harmed during their original offence than on the circumstances of the offence itself.

Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes for Older Adults in Ontario’s Forensic Psychiatry System While Maintaining Public Safety

Historical factors consistently outweighed dynamic and protective factors, but risk assessments for older adults need to be rebalanced.

How Virtual Reality Is Changing Medical Training

What if medical trainees could learn complex procedures or practice emergency responses in realistic simulations, without needing to perform them on actual patients or in risky clinical settings? Virtual reality (VR) is reshaping medical education by creating immersive, repeatable experiences that build technical skills, foster collaboration, and strengthen empathy. A recent commentary article by Dr. Mark Mohan Kaggwa, Precious Agboinghale, Diana Marginean, Dr. Gary Andrew Chaimowitz, and Dr. Andrew Toyin Olagunju explores how VR can transform medical training and prepare learners for complex, real-world scenarios.

Evidence-based practice in the evaluation and treatment of sexual offenders

This editorial addresses evidence based medical practice in forensic psychiatry and particularly in the field of paraphilia. John Bradford is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Ottawa where he was a founder of the Royal Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research. He is a Founder of Forensic Psychiatry, granted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Abdullah Alqahtani is an Assistant Professor and Consultant Psychiatrist at King Fahd University Hospital, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. He is currently completing a clinical fellowship in forensic psychiatry at McMaster University – St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Andrew Olagunju is an aca-demic psychiatrist with a Senior Lecturer position at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is also completing a clinical fellowship at McMaster University – St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.