title: Position and role of forensic psychiatry in integrative psychiatry.
abstract: The integrative approach to psychiatry has gained more importance in recent years. Is it justified or not, does it improve theory or practice, those are only some of the questions to which we are looking for answers, but in this paper we shall underline the necessity of enrolling forensic psychiatry into integrative, modern psychiatry. The reason and the motive for that integration is the fact that nowadays the content and the activities of contemporary forensic psychiatrists are totally reduced to executing the tasks given by courts. It is therefore entirely right to say that current forensic psychiatry finds itself in the passive role of executing orders of the court. Our aim is to point out how important it is that forensic psychiatry becomes an interdisciplinary profession in interaction with psychiatry but also with other medical branches just as with judiciary, educational institutions, moral-ethical institutions and religious institutions in producing preventive programmes and by participating in individual decision making process likewise. Our primary goal is to present the status and the position of contemporary forensic psychiatry and to specify the necessary improvements and its place in integrative psychiatry. It should be better, more meaningful and more ethical, both for the individual and the society in total. We want forensic psychiatry to include a protective and therapeutic role for each individual forensic examinee, i.e. a person who has already been in forensic examination and for whom one evaluates mental competence because of a mental disorder. We also want it to get a far larger and more active general role in society in terms of preventing criminal acts among the mentally ill and in society in total.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for General and Forensic Psychiatry and Clinical Psychophysiology, Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Bolnicka 32, 10090 Zagreb, Croatia. klinika@bolnica-vrapce.hr
authors.forename: Vera Folnegović
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Smalc
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varda
authors.forename: Petra Folnegović
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Grosić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006708:Homicide / Q000517:prevention & control; D006806:Human Rights / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention