Mindfulness and Forensic Mental Health

Abstract

Patients of forensic mental health services are those with diagnosable mental disorders whose behaviour has led, or could lead, them to offend (Mullen, 2000). They include mentally ill inmates of correctional facilities, sex offenders who have a recognised mental disorder, and those who have been judged to be incompetent to stand trial or found guilty but not responsible for their behaviour. Typically, forensic mental health services are offered to those with a 'major mental disorder', a term usually reserved for more serious forms of mental illness such as schizophrenia, major affective disorders, bipolar disorders, and other psychotic conditions but which also encompasses the effects of brain damage, intellectual disability, and serious personality disorder. In practice, this means that forensic mental health patients represent some of the marginalised, troubled, and perhaps difficult-to-treat members of society. The aim of this chapter is to consider the role that mindfulness based interventions have to play in their effective care and management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)