title: Ridiculous statements by mental health experts.
abstract: When mental health experts express their opinions in testimony, reports, and articles in professional literature, it is expected that their statements will accurately reflect the current state of knowledge. Experts may disagree about the data that they collected. In some cases, however, disagreement occurs because an expert has employed a methodology that is far outside usual procedures or simply disregarded objective facts. When that occurs, the expert's opinions may be considered ridiculous. The author presents examples of ridiculous statements by mental health experts and provides suggestions for how a forensic practitioner might address ridiculous statements by mental health experts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA. william.bernet@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bernet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D002655:Child Custody / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004519:Education, Special / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000592:standards; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000175:diagnosis