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“A comprehensive, useful analysis of an array of topics relevant to forensic mental health practice.”

—Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (on the third edition)


“An authoritative text in the field of forensic psychology.”

—International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology (on the third edition)


“Offers a comprehensive discussion of forensic assessment along with best practice guidelines for psychological evaluations in a wide range of criminal and civil proceedings.”

—Juvenile and Family Court Journal (on the third edition)


“If you perform forensic evaluations for a living, you need this book.”

—Journal of Psychiatric Practice (on the third edition)


“The fifth edition of this canonical work fully captures the last decade's explosive growth in what courts demand of mental health experts. Seamlessly meshing scientific rigor, legal precision, and clinical acumen, this is the single most crucial work to read if there is a witness stand in your future. With the publication of this book, the goalposts for both scholarship and practice in forensic psychology have been shifted.”

—John Monahan, PhD, Shannon Distinguished Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia


“Given its impressive scope, sophisticated legal analysis, and reliance on empirically supported practice, this is the definitive book for forensic mental health professionals as well as legal professionals who rely on psychological evaluations. Slobogin and colleagues have succeeded in writing a tour-de-force book that is simultaneously scholarly and practical. The fifth edition will surely become the go-to resource for students, mental health professionals, and legal professionals.”

—David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Drexel University


“One of the most foundational texts in forensic mental health assessment and mental health law. Its comprehensive review of relevant law, social science research, and practice makes this text an unparalleled resource for trainees and seasoned professionals alike. I reach for this book often to guide best practice and help resolve thorny ethical dilemmas. Readers familiar with prior editions will be pleased with the fifth edition—it includes robust reviews of new research in key areas (for example, the competence crisis) and recent developments in practice (for example, remote evaluations; Relevancy-Focused reports). This text is an absolute necessity for anyone practicing or learning about forensic mental health or mental health law.”

—Sharon Kelley, JD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine


“This text is not just a 'must read' but a 'must own' for forensic psychology students and practitioners. The fifth edition updates critical case law and addresses contemporary psycholegal issues in impressive depth. I have been teaching forensic assessment for over a decade, and this book continues to be the primary text I require for all of my graduate clinical psychology students. Without question, it is the definitive text on forensic psychological assessment.”

—Elizabeth Foster, PhD, Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, Widener University

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About the Authors

Christopher Slobogin, JD, LLM, is the Milton Underwood Chair in Law and Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University. He is the first law professor to receive Distinguished Contribution Awards from both the American Psychology–Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. Professor Slobogin has published over 200 works on mental health law and criminal justice and is among the most cited criminal law professors in the United States. He served as Chair of the Criminal Justice Mental Health Standards Task Force of the American Bar Association (ABA) and as Reporter for the ABA’s Task Force on Mental Disability and the Death Penalty and its Task Force on Criminal Responsibility.

• Author's website
• All titles by Christopher Slobogin

Randy K. Otto, PhD, MLS, ABPP, is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, where he serves as Chair of the Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences. Board certified in clinical and forensic psychology, Dr. Otto has served as president of the American Psychology–Law Society, the American Board of Forensic Psychology, and the American Board of Professional Psychology. His contributions to forensic psychological assessment have been recognized with lifetime achievement awards from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, the American Psychology–Law Society, and the forensic division of the New York State Psychological Association.

• Author's website
• All titles by Randy K. Otto

John Petrila, JD, LLM, is Senior Policy Advisor at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Previously, he was Chair and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. He is a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and of the University of South Florida President’s Faculty Excellence Award. Mr. Petrila’s research interests include the diversion of people with mental illnesses from the justice system, coercion, and strategies to reduce recidivism of heavy users of the treatment and justice systems. He is also a national expert on information sharing. Recent papers focus on emergency hospitalizations of people with mental illnesses, national review of emergency civil commitment legislation, the current status of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and use of the sequential intercept model as a tool for enhancing information sharing across the justice and behavioral health systems.

• All titles by John Petrila

Lois O. Condie, PhD, ABPP, is affiliated with the Department of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital and is Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Condie is board certified in neuropsychology, clinical psychology, and forensic psychology. She has received citations and awards from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Social Security Administration, the American Board of Forensic Psychology, the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the American Board of Professional Psychology. Her research focuses on assessments and entitlement legislation for children with neurodevelopmental and other disorders, services for vulnerable populations internationally, psychological and legal conceptions of privacy, and ethics and standards of practice.

• All titles by Lois O. Condie

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Audience

Practitioners and students in clinical and forensic psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, and psychiatry; legal professionals and students.

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Course Use

Serves as a text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses such as Forensic Psychology, Forensic Assessment, Psychology and Law, and Psychology in the Courts.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Fourth Edition, © 2018
ISBN: 9781462532667

Third Edition, © 2007
ISBN: 9781572309661

Second Edition, © 1997
ISBN: 9781572302365

First Edition, © 1987
ISBN: 9780898622768

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New to this edition:

• Updated empirical research on competency, interrogation practices, risk assessment, the effects of divorce on children, neurological and developmental science, and more.
• Recent court rulings, evidentiary rules, and regulatory shifts.
• Increased attention to race, culture, and culturally competent practice.
• New topics: the rise of remote evaluations, debates over recording evaluations, the trend toward privatization of forensic services, the use of social media data in investigations, implications of artificial intelligence for forensic practice, the “competency crisis,” substance abuse commitment, and the Relevancy-Focused report format (including a new sample report), and more.