DSM-5® and the Law: Changes and Challenges

by Charles Scott

Overview

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is the most widely used and accepted scheme for diagnosing mental disorders in the United States and beyond. DSM-5 was released with profound changes revealed in the required diagnostic process, specific criteria for previously established diagnoses, as well as the addition and deletion of specific mental disorders. DSM-5® and the Law provides an excellent summary of the DSM-5 diagnostic changes and the implications of these changes in various types of criminal and civil litigation. It also provides practical guidelines on how to correctly use the DSM-5 diagnostic process to record diagnoses in a forensic report. Furthermore, DSM-5® and the Law highlights unique aspects of the assessment of malingering based on DSM-5 alterations of DSM-IV.

Special features include a summary of relevant diagnostic changes to each chapter topic, an application of the DSM-5 to a wide range of civil and criminal forensic evaluations, practical vignettes throughout the chapters to illustrate key forensic points, chapter tables to highlight relevant information, and focused summary points at the conclusion of each chapter. The reader is provided specific guidance on a range of evidence-based approaches to rate severity of psychotic disorders and a range of considerations for assessing disability.

This is the first book to apply how the DSM-5 changes will impact the specific forensic evaluations with practical guidance on how to face new challenges posed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199368464
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/12/2015
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Scott is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Chief of the Psychiatry and the Law Division at the University of California, Davis. He is a Past-President of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL) and has been a national instructor for the AAPL Annual Forensic Psychiatry Review Course for over 15 years. He serves as a consultant to the California Department of State Hospitals statewide implementation of DSM-5.

Table of Contents

1. DSM-5: Development and Implementation
Jessica Ferranti, M.D.

2. DSM-5 and Major Diagnostic Changes
William Newman, M.D. and Brian Holoyda, M.D.

3. DSM-5: Diagnosing and Report Writing
Charles Scott, M.D.

4. DSM-5 and Psychiatric Evaluations of Individuals in the Criminal Justice System
Richard Frierson, M.D.

5. DSM-5: Competencies and the Criminal Justice System
Stephen Noffsinger, M.D. and Jennifer Piel, J.D, M.D.

6. DSM-5 and Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity and Diminished Mens Rea Defenses
Stephen Noffsinger, M.D. and Jennifer Piel, J.D, M.D.

7. DSM-5 and Civil Competencies
Robert Weinstock, M.D, Jennifer Piel, J.D, M.D, and Gregory B. Leong, M.D.

8. DSM-5 and Personal Injury Litigation
Charles Scott, M.D, Ryan Wagoner, M.D, and Mace Beckson, M.D.

9. DSM-5 and Disability Evaluations
John Greene, M.D. and Charles Scott, M.D.

10. DSM-5 and Education Evaluations in School Aged Children
Anne McBride, M.D.

11. DSM-5 and Malingering
Barbara McDermott, Ph.D. and Charles Scott, M.D.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Steven T Herron, MD (CPI/Assurance Health and Wellness)
Description: The launch of DSM-5 in early 2013 and its full implementation the following year is changing much about the diagnosing, treating, and coding for psychiatric illnesses. This, naturally, extends to the field of forensic psychiatry, where clinicians will be expected to not only identify and understand the changes in the new DSM, but more importantly, educate the courts on what these changes mean within the legal system.
Purpose: This book seeks to educate forensic practitioners about the key areas of change to DSM-5, as well as how these changes may affect the field of forensic psychiatry.
Audience: Though useful for anyone interested in forensic psychiatry, this book is likely to be the most beneficial for psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric residents, and fellows in forensic psychiatry programs.
Features: Of the three sections, the second (chapters 4 - 6) and third (chapters 7 - 11) are where forensic practitioners will get the most bang for their buck. Chapter 11, in particular, is a functional and interesting review of the continuing evolution of malingering and its vital role in forensic evaluations. The book uses some tables and charts, but they are limited in scope. Brief clinical vignettes provide rich examples and highlight important information. Chapters end with a summary of key information, followed by an extensive selection of pertinent references.
Assessment: This is the only work of its kind I have seen, and it provides a comfortable bridge between the functional changes associated with the DSM-5 and the effect they will have on completing forensic evaluations, both for civil and criminal matters. Chapters are well thought out and reasonably brief. The clinical vignettes help highlight the types of changes which could cause some practitioners difficulty. This is an impressive book that should prove to be a valuable resource for forensic practitioners or trainees.

Doody's Review Service

"This book clearly explains sophisticated nuances of DSM-5 diagnoses that will protect you from making errors on the witness stand. A must-have for all forensic clinicians." — Phillip J. Resnick, M.D., Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

"Dr. Scott has provided a comprehensive, scholarly, and insightful review of the process of development of the DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association's most up-to-date psychiatric diagnostic classification system, and the implications of the changes embodied in the DSM-5 for the field of forensic psychiatry. The chapter authors, experts in their respective fields, have applied their breadth of knowledge and expertise to the analysis of the DSM-5's changes as they relate to criminal, civil, disability, and educational forensic evaluations, including? the assessment of malingering. Dr. Scott has masterfully organized this volume such that it provides both in-depth information and practical guidance that will be of invaluable assistance to forensic psychiatrists in addressing the controversies associated with the DSM-5 that may arise in the courtroom and in incorporating DSM-5's changes into their forensic practices." — Liza Gold, Georgetown University School of Medicine

"This is the only work of its kind I have seen, and it provides a comfortable bridge between the functional changes associated with the DSM-5 and the effect they will have on completing forensic evaluations, both for civil and criminal matters. Chapters are well thought out and reasonably brief. The clinical vignettes help highlight the types of changes which could cause some practitioners difficulty. This is an impressive book that should prove to be a valuable resource for forensic practitioners or trainees." — Steven T. Herron, Doody's

From the Publisher