TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Judicial perspectives on mental health courts: the role of psychiatric disorder and violence risk
JO  - International journal of law and psychiatry
A1  - Simonsson, Peter
A1  - Farwell, Megan M.
A1  - Solomon, Phyllis L.
SP  - e101562
EP  - e101562
VL  - 70
IS  - 
N2  - OBJECTIVE: The extent to which psychiatric diagnosis, treatment compliance, and violence risk influenced judges perceived benefits of Mental Health Court ("MHC") for defendants with psychiatric disorders was examined.     METHOD: 81 judges completed one vignette in which psychiatric diagnosis (Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), treatment compliance (yes/no), and violence risk (high/low) were randomized. The online survey was distributed via email and following the vignette, judges answered a question about the appropriateness of MHC.     RESULTS: Judges assessed defendants with severe psychiatric disorders (Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder) - compared to defendants with PTSD - as more likely to benefit from MHCs. If deemed at low treatment compliance and/or high violence risk, judges were unlikely to appraise MHCs as beneficial, regardless of psychiatric diagnosis.     IMPLICATIONS: Judges appear to consider relevant factors when determining whether MHC will benefit defendants with psychiatric disorders; however, future research should include more variables (e.g., addictions, history of violence) to examine the combined influence on judges' perception of MHC suitability.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0160-2527
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2020.101562
ID  - ref1
ER  -