What shall we do with untreatable forensic psychiatric patients?
The destiny of untreatable forensic psychiatric patients in many western countries is uncertain, because governments, staff members of forensic psychiatric hospitals, lawyers and other involved groups do not know what to do with this category of patients. The debate concerning this matter, and related cost saving measures, very frequently ignores two important questions. Who is responsible for the untreatability of these patients? What are the criteria for untreatability? These core questions, which are related to each other, must be answered before the debate can go further. An exact definition of untreatability is needed for a) a fair screening of the patients, and b) getting more insight in the precise nature of, and interactions of the factors which play a role in the phenomenon of untreatability. To say that some patients are not (totally) responsible for their untreatability is not justifiable, as they may eventually become the victims of cost saving measures.
Martens
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D017046:Cost Savings; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018447:Medical Futility; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011330:Prisons; D017211:Treatment Failure