Malpractice and Other Civil Liability in Psychedelic Psychiatry.

Psychedelics have the ability to fundamentally alter the consciousness of individuals who take them and thus pose unique legal risks for psychiatrists interested in incorporating them into their practice. Several issues related to malpractice may be relevant, including absence of standards of care, risk of harm, inappropriate treatment, and the doctrine of . In addition to malpractice, psychiatrists should be aware of other potential civil claims, including battery and the intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Bestiality Law in the United States: Evolving Legislation with Scientific Limitations.

Societies have proscribed bestiality, or sex between humans and nonhuman animals, since the earliest recorded legal codes. In the early American colonies, religious prohibitions against bestiality provided the grounds for punishing those who engaged in such acts. In the 1800's, Henry Bergh imported the animal welfare approach to the United States, which modernized the legislative treatment of animals in the country.

The QAnon Conspiracy Theory and the Assessment of Its Believers.

Pizzagate and its progeny QAnon are two conspiracy theories with a growing number of believers worldwide. QAnon has entered mainstream conservative politics, with followers identifying themselves with posters and t-shirts at rallies for former President Trump beginning in 2018. With growing numbers of QAnon theorists the world over, psychiatrists will begin to encounter such individuals with increasing frequency.

and the Constitutionality of the Approach to Insanity.

In 1995, the Kansas legislature adopted what is referred to as the " approach" and abolished the affirmative insanity defense. This approach allows a defendant to be acquitted who lacks the requisite mental state for the crime, without consideration of the defendant's understanding of wrongfulness. In , the U.

Forensic Evaluation of Sexsomnia.

Sexsomnia is a non-rapid eye movement parasomnic behavior characterized by sexual activity during sleep. Recognized in the most recent editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, sexsomnia is likely to arise with increasing frequency in court as a potential explanation for sexual offending. The forensic psychiatrist has a unique role in the evaluation and management of sexsomnia.

Animal maltreatment law: Evolving efforts to protect animals and their forensic mental health implications.

Animals have long formed an important part of human communities and served various roles in human activities. Some of the earliest human civilizations developed laws that protected animals for assorted reasons, including their economic value, religious beliefs pertaining to animals, and societal concerns about cleanliness. In the 1800s, Western thinkers began to view animals as having rights of their own and proposed legislation that changed the legal landscape regarding animal maltreatment.

Sexsomnia as a Defense in Repeated Sex Crimes.

Sexsomnia and related sexual behaviors during sleep may be diagnosed in individuals accused of sex crimes. Although sexsomnia is now formally recognized in the DSM-5, the variable presentation of such behaviors and the possibility of malingering in medicolegal situations can cause challenges for forensic evaluators and legal professionals alike. Review of the literature reveals a paucity of cases involving allegations of repeated incidents due to abnormal sexual behaviors or experiences in sleep.

Insane Sex Offenders: Psychiatric and Legal Characteristics of Sexual Offenders Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.

There is little known about sexual offenders hospitalized under forensic commitment statutes such as not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). We conducted a chart review to delineate the demographic, clinical, and legal characteristics of NGRI sexual offenders (n = 68) committed to the California Department of State Hospitals-Napa, including 41 found NGRI for a sexual offense and 27 found NGRI for a nonsexual offense. The two groups did not differ significantly in their demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, victim characteristics, or recidivism risk as measured by the Static-99R.

Psychiatric education in the correctional setting: challenges and opportunities.

As the need for mental healthcare services within correctional settings in the US increases, so does the need for a mental health workforce that is motivated to work within such systems. One potentially effective method by which to increase the number of psychiatrists working in jails, prisons, and parole clinics is to provide exposure to these environments during their training. Correctional settings can serve as unique training sites for medical students and psychiatric residents and fellows.

Childhood animal cruelty, bestiality, and the link to adult interpersonal violence.

Animal cruelty has been a concern of the legal and psychiatric communities for many years. Beginning in the early 1800s, state legislatures in the United States established laws to protect the basic safety and security of animals in their jurisdictions. Legislatures have differed in opinion on the animals to receive protection under the law and have instituted differing penalties for infractions of anti-cruelty measures.

The Biological Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders: an Updated Review.

Paraphilic disorders are characterized by atypical sexual interests, fantasies, and behaviors that are subjectively distressing to patients or pose a risk of harm to others. By their very nature, some paraphilic disorders may predispose an individual to commit sexual offenses. The biological treatment of paraphilic disorders, then, is of paramount importance for psychiatry and society at large.

Recidivism Risk Assessment for Adult Sexual Offenders.

Sexual offending is a significant public health problem in the USA due to its prevalence and the substantial impact it has on victims, victims' families, and the legal and mental health systems. The assessment of sexual offender recidivism risk is an important aspect of developing effective management strategies for sexual offenders in terms of placement, treatment, and other interventions. Researchers have developed numerous tools to aid in the assessment of sexual violence recidivism risk, including actuarial measures, structured professional judgment methods, and psychophysiologic assessment of sexual interests.

Assessment of aggression in inpatient settings.

The threat of violence is a major concern for all individuals working or receiving treatment in an inpatient psychiatric setting. One major focus in forensic psychology and psychiatry over the past several decades has been the development of risk assessments to aid in the identification of those individuals most at risk of exhibiting violent behavior. So-called second- and third-generation risk assessments were developed to improve the accuracy of decision making.

Improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy for youth living with HIV/AIDS: a pilot study using personalized, interactive, daily text message reminders.

Background: For youth living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can lead to poor health outcomes and significantly decreased life expectancy.

Objective: To evaluate the feasability, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of short message service (SMS) or text message reminders to improve adherence to ART for youth living with HIV/AIDS.

Methods: We conducted this prospective pilot study using a pre-post design from 2009 to 2010 at a community-based health center providing clinical services to youth living with HIV/AIDS.