title: Forensic historiography: narratives and science.
abstract: Psychiatrists function, in part, as historians who rely on patient narratives to help them understand presenting mental disorders and explain their causes. Forensic psychiatrists have been skeptical of using narratives, raising concerns about their lack of objectivity and potential for bias. They also have criticized narratives as being more performative than scientific. Recent authors, however, have pointed out that narratives may be helpful in forming forensic opinions and supporting oral testimony, while stressing that their use must be consistent with the ethics espoused by forensic psychiatry. This article reviews the role of narratives in understanding human events and the ubiquitous presence of narratives in the judicial process. It delves into the inescapability of using explicit or implicit narratives in the course of forensic practice, as well as how they may be meaningfully incorporated into evaluations and find expression alongside scientific principles.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Drukteinis is Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, and Director, New England Psychodiagnostics, Manchester, NH. Presented as a Keynote Address at the 2012 Conference of the Royal Australian and, New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry, Hong Kong, September 5, 2012. aldruk@aol.com.
authors.forename: Albert M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drukteinis
mesh_terms: D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006663:Historiography; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D033262:Narration; D012586:Science