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The dilemma of the forensic psychiatrist

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Gwen Adshead  and
Jeanette Smith
Gwen Adshead
Affiliation:
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
Jeanette Smith
Affiliation:
Fromeside Clinic, Blackberry Hill, Bristol BS16 1ED
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Abstract

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Forensic psychiatrists have particular ethical duties in relation to the protection of the public, which few other doctors have. Part of the fulfillment of that duty is the assessment of risk, upon which many ethical decisions rest. But comprehensive risk assessment may require information which is not available, leaving the forensic psychiatrist in a dilemma between her duty to the patient and to the public. This case history is based on a real case.

Type
Original papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 18 , Issue 6 , June 1994 , pp. 333 - 335
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1994

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