European training in forensic psychiatry

✍ Scribed by Prof. John Gunn; Prof. Dr. med. Norbert Nedopil

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 86 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0957-9664
• DOI: 10.1002/cbm.23

✦ Synopsis

A certificate of completed specialist (higher) training (CCST) in psychiatry enables psychiatrists in one part of the European Union (EU) to work in any other part of the EU, language permitting. In the UK and Ireland, forensic psychiatry is a recognized subspecialty of psychiatry, with a separate CCST. The German Medical Association has also recognized forensic psychiatry as a subspecialty since 2004. This is not the case in most other European countries, but most do have specialist forensic psychiatry training programmes. With greater mobility between countries and the expanding union, it is likely that more specialists will seek or be invited to work outside their native country. The potential clientele and patients will also be much more mobile, with international consultation being required and/or transfer of cases growing in number.

While clinical aspects of assessment and treatment are likely to be more similar than not between countries, the way in which services are provided may differ considerably. There are also sufficient differences in mental health law and in the way in which people with major mental disorder may be dealt with in court that it can be difficult to consult with any confidence across national boundaries. At the 2003 annual meeting of the Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (of the UK and Ireland) there was informal discussion between representatives of a number of European countries about the implications of this. We began to ask questions such as:

•H ow can we facilitate communication between European countries about mentally disordered offenders appearing in the courts? •H ow can we facilitate transfer of patients between countries if/when this becomes appropriate? 207