title: Psychoanalytic principles as a heuristic framework to bridge the gap between psychology and the law in SVP evaluations: Assessing emotional and volitional impairment.
abstract: The legal concepts of emotional and volitional impairment in SVP evaluations are vague and ill-defined. This article reviews the legal terms of emotional and volitional impairment as they have been contemplated in extant SVP statutes, SVP case law, logical constructions, and limited empirical studies. To bridge the gap between psychiatry and the law, a broad, theory-based heuristic framework is furnished for understanding emotional and volitional impairment at a deep psychological (and intra-psychic) level. Specifically discussed are the concepts of transference, repetition compulsion, fixation, cathexis, regression, identification with the aggressor, and the object-relations and self-psychology concepts related to a loss of possession of the self.
authors: California Department of State Hospitals, Sex Offender Commitment Program, P.O. Box 150, Arroyo Grande, CA 93421, United States. Electronic address: ericsimon@yahoo.com.
authors: Eric P
authors: EP
authors: Simon
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000379:methods; D000066506:Heuristics; D006801:Humans; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D012649:Self Concept; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D035521:Supreme Court Decisions; D014167:Transference, Psychology; D014481:United States; D014836:Volition
keywords: Emotional impairment; Psychoanalytic; SVP; Sexually violent predator; Volitional impairment