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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.

The Implementation of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) in a Forensic Setting: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychotic illness that affects approximately 1% of the population. Within the Canadian forensic psychiatric system, patients are detained under a provincial Review Board after being found not criminally responsible (NCR) on account of a mental disorder. Here, the prevalence rate of schizophrenia is 53% [1]. Even with the use of psychotropic medication, it is estimated that approximately only 25% of patients fully recover from the illness [2]. The presence of active psychotic symptoms increases the risk of violent behaviour [3]. Thus, psychological interventions have been developed to be employed in conjunction with medication to assist in managing or even reducing symptomatology.