Pub Date : 2024-03-08DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101973
Stefan Tschoeke , Tilman Steinert , Hans Knoblauch
A psychotically motivated act or an act committed under impaired insight and control of action in the midst of an acute psychosis is the standard for lack of criminal responsibility. There is now increasing evidence that positive symptoms, particularly in the form of hallucinations and delusions, in trauma-related disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are comparable to positive symptoms in psychotic disorders, posing a challenge for differential diagnosis and forensic assessment of the relevance of positive symptoms to insight and self-control. Due to the indistinguishability of the phenomena, there is both a risk of misdiagnosis of a psychotic disorder and also trivialization with the use of pseudo-hallucinations or quasi-psychotic labels. Essential phenomenological differences that may be helpful in forensic assessments are the usually preserved reality testing in trauma-related disorders and BPD, as well as differences in psychopathological symptom constellations. Because of these differences relevant to forensic assessments, it seems useful to distinguish trauma-related disorders and BPD with positive symptoms from psychotic disorders.
{"title":"Forensic aspects of dissociative positive symptoms in trauma-related disorders and borderline personality disorder","authors":"Stefan Tschoeke , Tilman Steinert , Hans Knoblauch","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A psychotically motivated act or an act committed under impaired insight and control of action in the midst of an acute psychosis is the standard for lack of criminal responsibility. There is now increasing evidence that positive symptoms, particularly in the form of hallucinations and delusions, in trauma-related disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are comparable to positive symptoms in psychotic disorders, posing a challenge for differential diagnosis and forensic assessment of the relevance of positive symptoms to insight and self-control. Due to the indistinguishability of the phenomena, there is both a risk of misdiagnosis of a psychotic disorder and also trivialization with the use of <em>pseudo-hallucinations</em> or <em>quasi-psychotic</em> labels. Essential phenomenological differences that may be helpful in forensic assessments are the usually preserved reality testing in trauma-related disorders and BPD, as well as differences in psychopathological symptom constellations. Because of these differences relevant to forensic assessments, it seems useful to distinguish trauma-related disorders and BPD with positive symptoms from psychotic disorders.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252724000220/pdfft?md5=5527946a1bdce139c3d0afaf60bea446&pid=1-s2.0-S0160252724000220-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140062161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-03DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101965
János Fiala-Butora
This article explores how the European Court of Human Rights has applied the norms of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the area of mental health law. The European Court was initially receptive to the CRPD, including the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' call for a repeal of legislation permitting involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation, but later distanced itself from it. The CRPD has nevertheless influenced how the European Court approached (a) involuntary hospitalisation, (b) separating detention from treatment, (c) restraints and other forms of ill-treatment in institutions, and (d) disability-neutral detention based on disability. Despite the two treaty bodies' different jurisprudential methodology and their different assumptions about the role of medical and legal professionals, the CRPD can continue to influence the European Court in areas such as less restrictive alternatives to coercive treatment, the relevance of capacity, and the importance of personal integrity for mental health treatment.
{"title":"The influence of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities on the European court of human rights in the area of mental health law: Divergence and unexplored potential","authors":"János Fiala-Butora","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101965","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101965","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This article explores how the European Court of Human Rights has applied the norms of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the area of mental health law. The European Court was initially receptive to the CRPD, including the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' call for a repeal of legislation permitting involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation, but later distanced itself from it. The CRPD has nevertheless influenced how the European Court approached (a) involuntary hospitalisation, (b) separating detention from treatment, (c) restraints and other forms of ill-treatment in institutions, and (d) disability-neutral detention based on disability. Despite the two treaty bodies' different jurisprudential methodology and their different assumptions about the role of medical and legal professionals, the CRPD can continue to influence the European Court in areas such as less restrictive alternatives to coercive treatment, the relevance of capacity, and the importance of personal integrity for mental health treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252724000141/pdfft?md5=6f0a197fd045e423d0b57e68d6ecb7da&pid=1-s2.0-S0160252724000141-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140029243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101969
Himaja Aravind , Mark Taylor , Neeraj Gill
Objective
To systematically review the literature on methods for the standardized and objective assessment of Testamentary Capacity (TC), to identify the best evidence-based and clinically pragmatic method to assess TC. Doubts concerning TC can have far-reaching legal and financial implications.
Method
A systematic search of the literature was conducted, using PRISMA guidelines, to identify studies which describe methods or tools for the assessment of TC.
Results
The Testamentary Definition Scale (TDS); the Testamentary Capacity Assessment Tool (TCAT); and the Testamentary Capacity Instrument (TCI) all have good psychometric properties, but TDS only partially assesses TC, and the TCI is designed for research rather than day-to-day clinical practice.
Conclusion
The TCAT could usefully supplement the clinical assessment of TC, coupled with a standardized examination of cognition. There is room to develop an all-encompassing TC assessment tool. Currently, the clinical judgement of a medical professional, taking account of the medical, legal, ethical issues informing a capacity or competency decision, remains the gold standard for assessing TC.
{"title":"‘Evaluation of testamentary capacity: A systematic review’","authors":"Himaja Aravind , Mark Taylor , Neeraj Gill","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101969","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>To systematically review the literature on methods for the standardized and objective assessment of Testamentary Capacity (TC), to identify the best evidence-based and clinically pragmatic method to assess TC. Doubts concerning TC can have far-reaching legal and financial implications.</p></div><div><h3>Method</h3><p>A systematic search of the literature was conducted, using PRISMA guidelines, to identify studies which describe methods or tools for the assessment of TC.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The Testamentary Definition Scale (TDS); the Testamentary Capacity Assessment Tool (TCAT); and the Testamentary Capacity Instrument (TCI) all have good psychometric properties, but TDS only partially assesses TC, and the TCI is designed for research rather than day-to-day clinical practice.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The TCAT could usefully supplement the clinical assessment of TC, coupled with a standardized examination of cognition. There is room to develop an all-encompassing TC assessment tool. Currently, the clinical judgement of a medical professional, taking account of the medical, legal, ethical issues informing a capacity or competency decision, remains the gold standard for assessing TC.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252724000189/pdfft?md5=7b7f5d9a530f226e26a2a56cabaf8ca2&pid=1-s2.0-S0160252724000189-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139992912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101971
Lukas Stürner , Thomas Ross , Hans-Joachim Traub
Background
The relationship between schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and criminal behaviour is a central issue in forensic psychiatry. People with mental illness face some of the same types of criminogenic factors as people without mental illness, albeit more frequently. The research question of this study is the extent to which a framework of early and late offender typology can be empirically reconstructed in a forensic psychiatric population, and whether there are any practical implications.
Method
For N = 733 patients in six different forensic hospitals in Germany, the age at first psychiatric admission and the age at first registered offence were documented, as well as a number of other patient-related characteristics. Two clustering procedures were used to investigate whether forensic psychiatric patients could be classified according to these characteristics.
Results
A k-means cluster analysis using age at first psychiatric admission, age at first recorded offence, sociodemographic, clinical and criminological characteristics supported a 4-cluster solution. MANOVA analyses revealed further differences between the identified types.
Conclusion
This study empirically confirms some of the sub-groups of the early and late starter typology described in the literature. In particular, the "early starters", "late starters" and "first presenters" were identified, but cluster four comprises individuals not previously described in the scientific literature. Each of these classes has group-specific characteristics that may have implications for forensic treatment, post-release aftercare, and the legal system.
{"title":"Elusive cases in forensic psychiatry? Exploring subgroups of schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients in Germany","authors":"Lukas Stürner , Thomas Ross , Hans-Joachim Traub","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101971","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The relationship between schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and criminal behaviour is a central issue in forensic psychiatry. People with mental illness face some of the same types of criminogenic factors as people without mental illness, albeit more frequently. The research question of this study is the extent to which a framework of early and late offender typology can be empirically reconstructed in a forensic psychiatric population, and whether there are any practical implications.</p></div><div><h3>Method</h3><p>For N = 733 patients in six different forensic hospitals in Germany, the age at first psychiatric admission and the age at first registered offence were documented, as well as a number of other patient-related characteristics. Two clustering procedures were used to investigate whether forensic psychiatric patients could be classified according to these characteristics.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>A k-means cluster analysis using age at first psychiatric admission, age at first recorded offence, sociodemographic, clinical and criminological characteristics supported a 4-cluster solution. MANOVA analyses revealed further differences between the identified types.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This study empirically confirms some of the sub-groups of the early and late starter typology described in the literature. In particular, the \"early starters\", \"late starters\" and \"first presenters\" were identified, but cluster four comprises individuals not previously described in the scientific literature. Each of these classes has group-specific characteristics that may have implications for forensic treatment, post-release aftercare, and the legal system.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139993024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101966
Anna Nilsson
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) sets out a new vision for mental health care with equality and self-determination as its core standards. The CRPD fundamentally challenges long-standing practices in Sweden including the use of involuntary hospitalization, treatment without consent, and the use of restraints. This article discusses the impact of this new vision on Swedish mental health law and policy. An examination of mental health law inquiries from 2008 to 2023 reveals a notable lack of attention from policymakers towards the CRPD. Nevertheless, the Convention has emerged as a vital advocacy instrument for disability organizations and others opposing proposals that seek to broaden doctors' authority to employ coercion. In addition, the many efforts undertaken to reduce the use of coercion and to enhance the involvement of individuals with psychosocial disabilities in policy development align seamlessly with the principles of the Convention. This article concludes with a reflection on why the CRPD has not assumed a more prominent role in shaping mental health law in Sweden and calls on the government to seriously consider the CRPD's call for equality.
{"title":"Unlocking the impact of the CRPD on Swedish mental health law","authors":"Anna Nilsson","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101966","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101966","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) sets out a new vision for mental health care with equality and self-determination as its core standards. The CRPD fundamentally challenges long-standing practices in Sweden including the use of involuntary hospitalization, treatment without consent, and the use of restraints. This article discusses the impact of this new vision on Swedish mental health law and policy. An examination of mental health law inquiries from 2008 to 2023 reveals a notable lack of attention from policymakers towards the CRPD. Nevertheless, the Convention has emerged as a vital advocacy instrument for disability organizations and others opposing proposals that seek to broaden doctors' authority to employ coercion. In addition, the many efforts undertaken to reduce the use of coercion and to enhance the involvement of individuals with psychosocial disabilities in policy development align seamlessly with the principles of the Convention. This article concludes with a reflection on why the CRPD has not assumed a more prominent role in shaping mental health law in Sweden and calls on the government to seriously consider the CRPD's call for equality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252724000153/pdfft?md5=952ab7e0742c23bb7aeaf2764add7da7&pid=1-s2.0-S0160252724000153-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140014683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101970
Bo Chen , Hao Yao
This article examines the reasons behind the limited impact of China's mental health law reform in 2013 on reducing the use of restrictive measures in mental health services, focusing on the analysis of case law from Chinese courts. The analysis of collected rulings from the official database indicates that Chinese courts have adopted a lenient approach in scrutinizing the application of restrictive measures. Furthermore, the interpretation and application of the provisions related to restrictive measures in the law have led to service providers being held liable in numerous cases for not implementing such measures. Based on these findings, the article offers policy recommendations.
{"title":"Restrictive measure reduction in psychiatric wards: A snapshot of China's mental health law reform under the new era of disability rights convention","authors":"Bo Chen , Hao Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101970","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101970","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This article examines the reasons behind the limited impact of China's mental health law reform in 2013 on reducing the use of restrictive measures in mental health services, focusing on the analysis of case law from Chinese courts. The analysis of collected rulings from the official database indicates that Chinese courts have adopted a lenient approach in scrutinizing the application of restrictive measures. Furthermore, the interpretation and application of the provisions related to restrictive measures in the law have led to service providers being held liable in numerous cases for not implementing such measures. Based on these findings, the article offers policy recommendations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139944988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101967
Robert J. Cramer , Sam Cacace , Abby Coffey , Emily Hazlett , Andréa R. Kaniuka , Ryan Robertson , Lewis J. Peiper
Self-directed violence (SDV), including both suicide and non-suicidal self-injury, represents a major challenge for carceral systems. Persistent self-injury (PSI) is an understudied SDV subtype, especially within the carceral context. The present study addressed three research questions: (a) do naturally occurring SDV subgroups occur within a carceral population (e.g., PSI versus other classes); (b) how SDV groups may be differentiated by verbal or behavioral SDV; and (c) whether demographic, mental health, and incarceration-related factors are associated with SDV subgroups. We conducted a secondary analysis of existing data from a statewide carceral electronic medical record (N = 3527). Latent class analysis supports two SDV subtypes: episodic and persistent self-injury. The PSI class was characterized by significantly greater verbal expressions and behavioral acts of SDV compared to the episodic group. Correlates of the PSI subtype included older age, male sex, prior SDV, and lower depressive symptoms. Findings are discussed with respect to the proposed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual self-injury focused disorder, influential factors on SDV in carceral settings, and recommendations for future research and practice.
{"title":"Latent profiles and psychosocial correlates of persistent self-injury among incarcerated adults","authors":"Robert J. Cramer , Sam Cacace , Abby Coffey , Emily Hazlett , Andréa R. Kaniuka , Ryan Robertson , Lewis J. Peiper","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101967","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Self-directed violence (SDV), including both suicide and non-suicidal self-injury, represents a major challenge for carceral systems. Persistent self-injury (PSI) is an understudied SDV subtype, especially within the carceral context. The present study addressed three research questions: (a) do naturally occurring SDV subgroups occur within a carceral population (e.g., PSI versus other classes); (b) how SDV groups may be differentiated by verbal or behavioral SDV; and (c) whether demographic, mental health, and incarceration-related factors are associated with SDV subgroups. We conducted a secondary analysis of existing data from a statewide carceral electronic medical record (<em>N</em> = 3527). Latent class analysis supports two SDV subtypes: episodic and persistent self-injury. The PSI class was characterized by significantly greater verbal expressions and behavioral acts of SDV compared to the episodic group. Correlates of the PSI subtype included older age, male sex, prior SDV, and lower depressive symptoms. Findings are discussed with respect to the proposed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual self-injury focused disorder, influential factors on SDV in carceral settings, and recommendations for future research and practice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139941972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101968
Stephanie F. Dailey , Samantha Dubrow
There is a need to maximize understanding of conditions under which officers are most likely to use lethal force when interacting with persons with severe mental illness (SMI) and whether utilization of a mental health professional (MHP) serves to reduce use of force (UoF) severity. Using a mixed methods concurrent triangulation design framework, this exploratory study examined UoF with individuals exhibiting signs of psychosis and whether police-MHP partnerships decrease UoF severity. Findings indicate officers use more severe forms of force with armed individuals displaying signs of psychosis and that MHP presence did not reduce force severity in such cases. Qualitative themes provide context for these findings and include (1) concerns for MHP safety, (2) planned collaborations support safety, and (3) MHPs support de-escalation. Discussion highlights a need for increased officer education on SMI, appropriate de-escalation strategies, co-created engagement/disengagement protocols for MHPs, and defined standards of practice for police-mental health collaborations.
{"title":"Police-mental health partnerships and persons with severe mental illness: An exploratory study of perceived risk and use of force","authors":"Stephanie F. Dailey , Samantha Dubrow","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101968","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>There is a need to maximize understanding of conditions under which officers are most likely to use lethal force when interacting with persons with severe mental illness (SMI) and whether utilization of a mental health professional (MHP) serves to reduce use of force (UoF) severity. Using a mixed methods concurrent triangulation design framework, this exploratory study examined UoF with individuals exhibiting signs of psychosis and whether police-MHP partnerships decrease UoF severity. Findings indicate officers use more severe forms of force with armed individuals displaying signs of psychosis and that MHP presence did not reduce force severity in such cases. Qualitative themes provide context for these findings and include (1) concerns for MHP safety, (2) planned collaborations support safety, and (3) MHPs support de-escalation. Discussion highlights a need for increased officer education on SMI, appropriate de-escalation strategies, co-created engagement/disengagement protocols for MHPs, and defined standards of practice for police-mental health collaborations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139936398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
International scientific research has extensively studied psychopathy, but few studies focus on an intercultural and postcolonial context. Mayotte, a French overseas collectivity located in East Africa, offers a unique opportunity to study the application and effects of psychopathy diagnosis in the criminal justice field within a social context shaped by colonial legacy.
This research uses a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data, to show that in Mayotte, the majority of individuals diagnosed with psychopathy are young, low-income individuals who act in groups. Among them are minors, and the majority have no prior criminal history.
This article provides a complementarist reflection on this phenomenon, informed by immersive field anthropology and theoretical contributions from psychology, sociology, and criminology. Through an inductive research process, this study posits the hypothesis that diagnoses of psychopathy in post-colonial contexts may be influenced by complex determinants rooted in collective history and contemporary power relations.
{"title":"Diagnosing psychopathy in an intercultural setting: Applications and implications in postcolonial contemporary Mayotte","authors":"Elie K.N. Letourneur , Erwann Gouadon , Malika Mansouri","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101963","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101963","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>International scientific research has extensively studied psychopathy, but few studies focus on an intercultural and postcolonial context. Mayotte, a French overseas collectivity located in East Africa, offers a unique opportunity to study the application and effects of psychopathy diagnosis in the criminal justice field within a social context shaped by colonial legacy.</p><p>This research uses a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data, to show that in Mayotte, the majority of individuals diagnosed with psychopathy are young, low-income individuals who act in groups. Among them are minors, and the majority have no prior criminal history.</p><p>This article provides a complementarist reflection on this phenomenon, informed by immersive field anthropology and theoretical contributions from psychology, sociology, and criminology. Through an inductive research process, this study posits the hypothesis that diagnoses of psychopathy in post-colonial contexts may be influenced by complex determinants rooted in collective history and contemporary power relations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252724000128/pdfft?md5=8e78efc674876158e9f95f3673daca42&pid=1-s2.0-S0160252724000128-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139908201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101960
Ruby Reed-Berendt , Beverley Clough
In this article, we consider the approach to decisions regarding capacity and sexual relations in the Court of Protection in England and Wales, and the boundaries drawn through its application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We discuss recent developments in the law following the UK Supreme Court case A Local Authority v JB [2021] UKSC 52, which recast how capacity in relation to sexual relations ought to be assessed. Noting that this case has been warmly received by some feminist theorists for the centrality it affords to mutual consent, we draw on critical approaches from feminist, Black feminist, and disability scholarship, to call attention to the legal techniques and judicial reasoning in this case and the ways in which this embeds problematic norms and reinforces the marginalisation of disabled people. We call attention to the impoverished notions of equality advanced in the case and the assumptions that this appears to rely upon which obscure the realities and histories of legal intervention in disabled people's lives. We further argue that the approach in sexual relations cases appears to use capacity determinations as a vehicle to supplement gaps left by the criminal law, blurring their distinct rationalities and enabling further opportunities for control. We suggest that important insights can be gained from bringing these critical perspectives into conversation, including unsettling assumptions contained in the judgment and in mental capacity scholarship more broadly, manoeuvring us out of the perceived intractability of legal reasoning in this context, and offering productive ways forward.
在本文中,我们将探讨英格兰和威尔士保护法院对行为能力和性关系做出裁决的方法,以及通过适用 2005 年《心智能力法》(MCA)所划定的界限。我们讨论了英国最高法院 A 地方当局诉 JB [2021] UKSC 52 一案之后法律的最新发展,该案重塑了与性关系有关的行为能力的评估方式。我们注意到此案因其赋予相互同意的中心地位而受到一些女性主义理论家的热烈欢迎,我们借鉴了女性主义、黑人女性主义和残疾学术的批判性方法,呼吁关注此案中的法律技巧和司法推理,以及其中嵌入问题规范和强化残疾人边缘化的方式。我们呼吁关注本案中提出的贫乏的平等概念,以及这种概念似乎所依赖的假设,这些假设掩盖了法律干预残疾人生活的现实和历史。我们还认为,性关系案件中的方法似乎是将能力鉴定作为补充刑法空白的工具,模糊了两者不同的合理性,为控制提供了更多机会。我们认为,将这些批判性视角引入对话中可以获得重要的启示,包括打破判决书和更广泛的精神行为能力学术研究中的假设,使我们摆脱法律推理在这种情况下的棘手性,并提供富有成效的前进方向。
{"title":"(Un)blurred lines? Sex, disability, and the dynamic boundaries of mental capacity law","authors":"Ruby Reed-Berendt , Beverley Clough","doi":"10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101960","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this article, we consider the approach to decisions regarding capacity and sexual relations in the Court of Protection in England and Wales, and the boundaries drawn through its application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We discuss recent developments in the law following the UK Supreme Court case <em>A Local Authority v JB</em> [2021] UKSC 52, which recast how capacity in relation to sexual relations ought to be assessed. Noting that this case has been warmly received by some feminist theorists for the centrality it affords to mutual consent, we draw on critical approaches from feminist, Black feminist, and disability scholarship, to call attention to the legal techniques and judicial reasoning in this case and the ways in which this embeds problematic norms and reinforces the marginalisation of disabled people. We call attention to the impoverished notions of equality advanced in the case and the assumptions that this appears to rely upon which obscure the realities and histories of legal intervention in disabled people's lives. We further argue that the approach in sexual relations cases appears to use capacity determinations as a vehicle to supplement gaps left by the criminal law, blurring their distinct rationalities and enabling further opportunities for control. We suggest that important insights can be gained from bringing these critical perspectives into conversation, including unsettling assumptions contained in the judgment and in mental capacity scholarship more broadly, manoeuvring us out of the perceived intractability of legal reasoning in this context, and offering productive ways forward.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47930,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Law and Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252724000098/pdfft?md5=db6ab04b11be2fb2a043cfd1bf571595&pid=1-s2.0-S0160252724000098-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139732953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}