Recognizing the Existence of Quack Experts in Forensic Psychiatry and Exploring Hard Truths

The quack expert pretends to have some peculiar knowledge or skill that the expert does not possess or that may not even exist at all. Within forensic psychiatry, the response to quack experts has been varied and largely ineffective in mitigating their effect. Previous efforts to address quack experts have primarily relied on the courts, sanctions from professional organizations, or state board intervention. A shift to more globally addressing the misinformation itself and creating education of what appropriate testimony entails is likely far more helpful than trying to identify and punish each quack expert. At the individual level, new avenues of intervention include forensic psychiatrists taking advantage of educational opportunities and engaging in self-reflection. At the regional and national level, potential interventions include the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law's educating courts and attorneys, developing resource documents conveying basic principles of appropriate practice, and expanding peer review.