title: Unsolicited E-mails to Forensic Psychiatrists.
abstract: E-mail communication is pervasive. Since many forensic psychiatrists have their e-mail addresses available online (either on personal websites, university websites, or articles they have authored), they are likely to receive unsolicited e-mails. Although there is an emerging body of literature about exchanging e-mail with patients, there is little guidance about how to respond to e-mails from nonpatients. Therefore, we used a Delphi technique to develop a consensus about salient points for the forensic psychiatrist to consider regarding responding to e-mails from nonpatients and the risks entailed. Four scenarios are described, including e-mails from nonpatients and unknown others requesting advice or help. The potential ethics-related, legal, moral, and practical concerns for forensic psychiatrists are discussed. Finally, potential pitfalls for forensic psychiatrists are described.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry. susanhfmd@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Susan Hatters
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Jacob M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ash
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Frierson
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giorgi-Guarnieri
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Alan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Pinals
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.affiliation: Dr. Friedman is Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Appel is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Dr. Ash is Professor, Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Frierson is Professor, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC. Dr. Giorgi-Guarnieri is in Private Practice, Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Martinez is Professor of Psychiatry and the Law, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine, Denver CO. Dr. Newman is Chair of Psychiatry, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pinals is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Dr. Resnick is Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Dr. Simpson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Authors represented the Committee on Psychiatry and Law for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Alexander I F
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling / Q000941:ethics*; D003697:Delphi Technique; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000941:ethics*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment