A forensic psychiatrist is a medical professional who works at the intersection of psychology and law. They practice forensic psychiatry, assessing an individual’s mental health and how it impacts their case in court. The key goal of a forensic psychiatrist is to break down complex psychological jargon in simple terms for the court to have a better understanding of the individual’s mental state.

A forensic psychiatry psychiatrist conducts a forensic evaluation in multiple stages to ensure they deliver a thorough and accurate evaluation report to the court.

A forensic psychiatrist:

• Collects collateral from the individual pertaining to their case
• Reviews the important collateral such as past psychiatry history, medical history, medication history, official legal documents, and character references
• Interviews the individual to assess their mental state precisely
• Contacts their character references to gain an insight into the individual’s day-to-day life
• Conducts various psychological tests on the individual and includes standard scales used in an evaluation in their evaluation report
• Summarizes their complete evaluation report by including their recommendations and conclusion
• If required, gives their expert opinion in court by backing up their recommendations based on the findings of the report

A forensic psychiatry psychiatrist conducts various forensic evaluations, some of which are court-ordered. Following is the collateral a forensic psychiatrist reviews to thoroughly conduct their evaluation:

• Past Psychiatry History – The past psychiatric history of an individual includes past diagnoses, previous psychiatric evaluations, details of inpatient or outpatient programs, details of hospitalizations, history of mental health problems, letters from therapist, psychiatrist, and notes from primary care physician.
• Past Medical History – Past medical history of an individual includes their previous medical records indicating any coexisting medical conditions, like arrhythmia, cardiovascular diseases, heart problems, thyroid diseases, or any other details of hospitalizations.
• Medications History & Current Medications – Medications’ details of the person includes their past medications, current medications, notes of whether these caused any side effects, whether these were effective in treating the symptoms of the individual’s condition, and their dosages.
• Legal Documents – Legal documents of the individual include all the documents pertaining to their case such as police reports, domestic violence reports, ACS cases, CPS reports, court orders, or any other important document that provides details of the person’s case.
• Character References – Character references are letters from those who know the individual personally, and vouch for their good character. These include letters from their family, friends, employers, professors, and those close to the individual.

Once the forensic psychiatrist reviews all of these documents, they note down their recommendations and conclusion based on these documents, thereby including each and every collateral submitted by the individual in their evaluation report.