Involuntary medication treatment for competency restoration of 22 defendants with delusional disorder.

Full Abstract

There are no published data on the rates of competency restoration for adjudicated incompetent felony criminal defendants diagnosed with delusional disorder. A retrospective record review was conducted of all incompetent defendants with the principal diagnosis of delusional disorder who had undergone involuntary medication treatment for competency restoration during a 13-year period at a federal psychiatric prison hospital. Of the 181 defendants who were involuntarily medicated for competency restoration during this period, 22 had delusional disorder. Seventeen (77%) of the defendants with delusional disorder improved sufficiently for the forensic evaluators to opine that they had been restored to competency after involuntary treatment with antipsychotic medication. These results are similar to the published data of the relatively high rates of competency restoration for incompetent defendants with diagnosed schizophrenia.

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Author information

Author/s: Herbel, Bryon L (BL); Stelmach, Hans (H);

Affiliation: Federal Medical Center, Old Oxford Highway 75, Butner, NC 27509, USA. bherbel(-atsign-)bop.gov

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: The journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (J Am Acad Psychiatry Law), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-; vol 35 (issue 1) : pp 47-59

Dates: Created 2007/03/28; Completed 2007/07/16;

PMID: 17389345, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Antipsychotic Agents - adverse effects; therapeutic use
Coercion
Commitment of Mentally Ill - legislation & jurisprudence
Delusions - diagnosis; drug therapy
Dementia - diagnosis; drug therapy
Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; drug therapy
Humans
Male

Mental Competency - legislation & jurisprudence
Middle Aged
Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - legislation & jurisprudence; statistics & numerical data
Probability
Prognosis
Psychotic Disorders - diagnosis; drug therapy
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Refusal - legislation & jurisprudence
United States

Associated Chemicals: Antipsychotic Agents (0)

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