Ethical Problems of Forensic and Prison Psychiatry in Latvia

Abstract

(from the chapter) This chapter discusses ethical problems of forensic and prison psychiatry in Latvia. It is a strange phenomenon that general psychiatric units and hospitals in Latvia receive less money and therefore less staff and treatment options than the secure psychiatric unit in Riga. As a result, when the medical conditions of patients improve and they receive permission from the court to continue their psychiatric treatment in a general psychiatric hospital or unit, they may be unhappy about this as they do not understand why they are not provided with the same level of rehabilitation, occupational therapy activities and sports activities or why they have to share a room with 5 or 6 other patients. At the moment, however, the overall situation of psychiatric hospitals and units is improving and patients can receive more appropriate levels of treatment in general psychiatric settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).