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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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.