Forensic Psychiatry: Essential Board Review

Watch Dr. Helen Farrell's TEDx Talk on Creating Hope for Mental Health Forensic Psychiatry: Essential Board Review is an invaluable study guide for those doctors preparing for the forensic psychiatry board exam or seeking recertification. The text is a concise and practical aid for mastering forensics, making key principles easy to understand and memorize. The book is divided into four sections. The first section, Board Examination Tips and Pitfalls, offers you important advice on everything from registering for the examination to effective studying techniques to the power of embracing a positive attitude. The second section, High Yield Notes, provides a broad review of important topics in forensic psychiatry including forensic ethics as well as civil and criminal issues. The third section, Legal Cases, contains a concise review of important mental health legal cases. The last section, Board-Style Questions, includes more than 100 board-style questions along with answers and detailed explanations for self-assessment. Although the book focuses primarily on forensic psychiatrists, a larger audience can benefit from reading it including psychologists, social workers, criminologists, general psychiatrists, medical students, and attorneys or law students interested in mental health law.

Table of Contents:
Section 1: Board examination tips and pitfalls 1. Proactivity 2. Preparation 3. Performance 4. Positivity Section 2: High-yield notes 5. Overview 6. Civil 7. Criminal 8. Special issues Section 3: Legal cases 9. Legal regulation of psychiatry 10. Civil 11. Criminal 12. Death penalty 13. Corrections/correctional healthcare 14. Legal systems/basic law 15. Children and families 16. Special issues Section 4: Board-style questions 17. Board-style questions 18. Board-style questions and answers

About the Author :
Helen M. Farrell is a forensic psychiatrist on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts and an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Farrell has presented nationally to diverse groups including members of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the American Bar Association. She has published widely in academic journals and books on the topics of psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. In addition, her work has appeared in JAMA and various media and newspaper outlets, including KevinMD.com, Psychology Today, and The New York Times.

Review :
"Dr. Farrell has written the book that we all wish we could have read when seeking forensic certification. Comprehensive, candid, and concise … an indispensable resource." —Eric Y. Drogin, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and former president, American Board of Forensic Psychology "… this pithy and well-written book is both necessary and sufficient to breeze through the exam. I highly recommend it." —Henry A. Nasrallah, MD, editor-in-chief, Schizophrenia Research and Current Psychiatry "… Dr. Helen M. Farrell, has produced a volume that will not only get a candidate APBN forensic 'board-ready' but will also serve as a solid foundation for a successful career in forensic psychiatry." —Stephen B. Seager, MD, author of Behind the Gates of Gomorrah: A Year with the Criminally Insane"Helen Farrell's [book] sets a new standard for guide books and should be read by every psychiatrist interested in forensic psychiatry." —Mark Rubinstein, MD, former clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, Cornell University Medical School "…includes concise summaries of the landmark cases and practice questions with informative, explanatory answers. A must for anyone planning to take the board examination in forensic psychiatry." —Alan R. Felthous, MD, professor, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine "This book will … help in both general and forensic psychiatric board preparation and also be helpful to the general mental health clinician who often stumbles across legal issues in clinical practice." —Harold J. Bursztajn, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School "As a trial lawyer who writes on law and psychology, I can attest that Dr. Farrell’s case-by-case approach distills complex legal theories with a compelling clarity that most legal casebooks have yet to accomplish." — Ruth Sarah Lee, Esq. "Genius is the simplification of the complex—this is precisely what Dr. Helen M. Farrell has achieved here—easy to read, immediately useful, and a must read for anyone going into Forensic Psychiatry." —Joe Navarro, author of Dangerous Personalities "…The chapters are well-organized, and the vignettes are crisply written and easy to follow. Highly recommended." —Shawn T. Smith, author of Surviving Aggressive People: Practical Violence Prevention Skills for the Workplace and the Street. "Dr. Farrell's book offers a comprehensive look and thorough coverage of the process necessary for forensic psychiatrists to achieve success in their field." —Steve Albrecht, author of Fear and Violence on the Job "[The book] specifically seeks to prepare aspiring forensic psychiatrists for board certification, but it will be equally useful for forensic psychologists as well." —Stephen A. Diamond, PhD, former forensic psychologist for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County (Criminal Division)