The influence of evil on forensic clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Medical Sociology

Background:

• The medicalization of criminal behavior relies on therapeutic ideologies and treatment strategies.
• The concept of
• evil
• is often applied to heinous offenders by the public, but its impact on mental health professionals is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the concept of
• evil
• influences the perceptions and care planning of mental health professionals for mentally disordered offenders.
• To analyze the discourse surrounding care plan construction for offenders deemed
• evil
• by clinicians.

Main Methods:

• Thematic analysis of discourse from mental health professionals.
• Research conducted in a high-security psychiatric hospital in North-west England.
• Examination of care plans for mentally disordered offenders considered
• evil
• by staff.

Main Results:

• Mental health professionals' discourse demonstrates a complex, rational structuring of the concept of
• evil
• in relation to offenders.
• A shift was observed from medical/ideological discourse to lay notions of
• badness
• during care plan construction.
• An Airaksinen model was developed to categorize manifestations of
• evil
• in this context.

Conclusions:

• The perception of
• evil
• among mentally disordered offenders complicates clinical assessment and treatment planning.
• Understanding this interplay between clinical and lay concepts is crucial for effective forensic psychiatric practice.
• The developed Airaksinen model offers a framework for analyzing the complex manifestations of
• evil
• in forensic settings.