Feedback in forensic mental health assessment

ABSTRACT

The provision of feedback in forensic mental health assessment has received little attention. The scant research literature suggests that giving feedback is not only infrequent among forensic mental health examiners, but in some circumstances, it is considered inappropriate. This paper puts forth some of the challenges related to the provision of feedback in the context of forensic mental health assessments. It also suggests that in some cases, the provision of carefully vetted feedback could be consistent with the aims of therapeutic jurisprudence and trauma-informed principles. Ultimately, we suggest that feedback is not a unitary construct and that the timing and type of feedback warrant independent consideration that is often seated in practical, clinical, and ethical considerations. We conclude that while feedback is optional, consideration of different scenarios for feedback expands the range of professional options.

KEYWORDS:

• Feedback
• forensic mental health assessment
• therapeutic jurisprudence
• evaluator options

Disclosure statement

The authors have no known conflicts of interest to declare.