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.
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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.
Read moreWhy 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.
Read moreForensic 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.
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