United States v. Olhovsky, 562 F.3d530 (3rd Cir. 2009): Treating clinicians vs. expert witnesses
Interesting court decision reviewed in the latest Journal of the American Academyc of Pyschiatry and the Law (39, 1, 2011, pp. 119-120). The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that not subpoenaing the treating psychologist at sentencing was reversible error. The treating psychologist is a fact, not expert witness. “The case illustrates the weight that […]
PICTS: Criminal Cognitions and Psychopathy
Abstract: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Criminal Cognitions and Psychopathy in a Civil Psychiatric Sample, Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol December 2010 vol. 54 no. 6 865-877. The relationship between psychopathy and thinking styles that support and maintain a criminal lifestyle is examined using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; Hart, Cox, & […]
The Nazi and the Psychiatrist
Encounters behind bars between Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering and an American doctor 65 years ago raise questions about responsibility, allegiance and the nature of evil Excerpt from Scientific American Mind: January 2011: “In the aftermath of World War II, American psychiatrist Douglas M. Kelley worked closely with captured Nazis as their general physician and […]
PTSD and Malingering: Practice Pointers
There appears to be a dramatic split among mental health professionals who write primarily from a treatment or plaintiff perspective and those who take a more skeptical approach. This article by Steve Rubenzer reviews recent developments in the assessment of malingering, including symptom validity measures, and applies them to the assessment of PTSD. Recommendations for current practice are provided.