Shaping Attitudes of Psychiatry Residents Toward Forensic Patients

With increasing criminalization of the mentally ill, individuals with mental disorders more frequently come into contact with the legal system. Psychiatrists may find themselves evaluating these individuals in a forensic context or treating them. Unfortunately, resident trainees and psychiatrists may be uncomfortable with forensic matters and treating patients with medicolegal problems. To clarify the attitudes and experience of Canadian psychiatry trainees, attendees at a national psychiatry review course were polled. The results show significant discomfort and a lack of didactic and clinical education concerning these patients and their problems. However, didactic and clinical education were shown to be associated with both increased comfort with and willingness to treat these patients.