Cultural Competence in Forensic Mental Health

As culturally relevant psychiatry becomes common practice, the need for competent and culturally relevant forensic psychiatry comes to the forefront. This volume, written by one expert in cultural psychiatry and another in forensic psychiatry addresses that need. By combining their expertise in these areas, they are able to develop and create a new body of knowledge and experiences addressing the issue of the cultural aspects of forensic psychiatry. Beginning with an introduction to cultural and ethnic aspects of forensic psychiatry, this volume will address basic issues of the practice, as well as more detailed areas ranging from the various psychiatric disorders to intensive analysis and discussion of how to perform forensic psychiatric practice in a culturally relevant and competent way. Also the book suggests methods for continued awareness and sensitivity to issues of cultural and ethnic diversity in the field.

"Tseng, Matthews, and Elwyn have blended decades of experience and knowledge of cultural and forensic psychiatry to produce a text that is intellectually intriguing and enormously practical. The book also fills a void that has been created by the explosion of forensic psychiatry as a sub-specialty. And for the first time, forensic psychiatrists and others can turn to a brilliantly assembled reference text to read about the impact of culture on the MMPI, the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, judicial practices, forensic clinical assessments, and other principles and rituals that forensic professionals so commonly encounter. These scholars use lucid prose to emphasize that both psychiatry and the law are subject to the influence of mundane societal mores, an understanding of which is necessary for the thoughtful practice of forensic psychiatry.." -- Ezra E. H. Griffith, MD is Professor of Psychiatry and of African-American Studies at Yale University"This brilliant text provides a comprehensive and in-depth view of the importance of cultural perspectives in contemporary forensic psychiatry. The authors, with their combined expertise in cultural psychiatry and the law, provide practitioners with a solid foundation of what they need to know in this exciting and challenging field, while at the same time introducing central philosophical questions at the interface of psychiatry, law, culture, and ethics.." -- James K. Boehnlein, M.D. Professor of Psychiatry Oregon Health and Science University"Drs. Tseng, Mathews, and Elwyn have written a text which takes us into the increasingly important realm of cultural competencies in a forensic psychiatric context...It is the first comprehensive treatment of this important topic and provides forensic scientists, novice and expert, with a roadmap for basic understanding of the issues involved and a jumping-off place for future investigation and mastery of this most important area of forensic concern." -- Joseph D. Bloom, M.D., Emeritus Dean, School of Medicine; Emeritus Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University

Wen-Shing Tseng, M.D. is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture and the author of the Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry.Daryl Matthews, M.D. is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Forensic Psychiatry Program at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine, and Co-Director of Training in Forensic Psychiatry at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu.Todd S. Elwyn, Clinical instructor in psychiatry and fellow in forensic psychiatry at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine, USA