Commentary: Do forensic psychiatrists' practice patterns differ based on their gender?
نویسنده
چکیده
Does gender affect the practice pattern of forensic psychiatrists? Though the exact nature of practice differences between male and female forensic psychiatrists is difficult to identify and even more difficult to quantify, Price et al. make a solid start toward answering the question. They define basic parameters of forensic psychiatric practice and compare these parameters between men and women. Most prominent in the findings of Price et al. is that the women surveyed were almost twice as likely to believe that gender is a factor in the selection of a forensic psychiatric expert than were the men (80% versus 41%). The female psychiatrists’ belief that gender affects the legal process, at least in the selection of an expert witness, is consistent with the literature review by Price et al. of professional women within the court system. The literature on gender fairness within court systems documents that female lawyers and judges more frequently report gender bias as being directed toward women than toward their male colleagues. Though the process of choosing a female psychiatrist instead of a male is not a negative bias, it indicates a genderbased difference in practice more frequently reported by female than male forensic psychiatrists. Regarding this issue, the female psychiatrists surveyed by Price et al. acknowledged both having experienced selection bias based on gender and having the belief that gender is a factor in the selection of a forensic expert. The literature review presented by Price et al. on professional women within the court system documents that women report experiencing genderbiased treatment and perceive a difference in how they are treated as professionals. The literature concerning expert witnesses and gender is mixed with regard to the influence of gender on a jury’s perception of an expert witness’s credibility. Echoing the description of Price et al. of studies that raise concerns about whether female experts are viewed as credible are the results of the Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force for Gender Fairness in the Courts. This latter study was conducted from 1986 to 1987 with extensive questionnaires sent to attorneys, judges, and court administrative personnel and through public hearings, with response rates at 83.5 percent and 93 percent for all registered Minnesota attorneys and judges, respectively. In this study, results comparable with those of Price et al. showed that most of the female attorneys surveyed had encountered gender-based differential treatment. Some examples given by female attorneys included derogatory comments that were considered gender based, different forms of address compared with male attorneys, inquiries about professional identity (i.e., “Are you an attorney?”), and inappropriate comments about their dress and physical characteristics including comments about their breasts. Female judges reported subtle experiences that left them with the perception of not being taken seriously by their male judicial colleagues. The Minnesota Task Force report included multiple accounts of gender bias against female judges and attorneys, as witnessed and reported by men. More germane to the review Dr. Hackett is Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Address correspondence to: Maureen Hackett, MD, Medical Arts Bldg., Suite 1850, 825 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402. E-mail: hackett@netinst. com
منابع مشابه
A Conceptual Overview and Commentary on Gender Dysphoria.
Gender Dysphoria is a distressed state of mind that is of interest to psychiatrists, including forensic psychiatrists. Forensic matters can be best addressed only after one has a good appreciation of relevant psychiatric knowledge and concepts. In this commentary I review the nature of Gender Dysphoria, its relationship to cross-dressing and erotic arousal, and the question of whether it should...
متن کاملGender differences in the practice patterns of forensic psychiatry experts.
In the past 25 years, the number of female forensic psychiatrists has increased dramatically. To assess whether there are gender differences in the practice patterns of forensic psychiatry experts, members of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law were surveyed during an annual business meeting. Women in the sample were shown to perform fewer categories of evaluation than men. Women wer...
متن کاملCommentary: Coming Full Circle--Psychoanalysis, Psychodynamics, and Forensic Psychiatry.
Drs. Simopoulos and Cohen argue that knowledge of one's unconscious processes improves the forensic psychiatrist's capacity to manage complex forensic situations and to generate forensic formulations and opinions that are demonstrably more valid and reliable, much like competence in cultural assessment and formulation. In practice, the challenges posed by the application of these principles in ...
متن کاملAAPL Practice Guideline for the Forensic Evaluation of Psychiatric Disability.
Statement of Intent and Development Process This document is intended to be a review of legal and psychiatric factors and to give practical guidance and assistance in the performance of psychiatric disability evaluations. It was developed by forensic psychiatrists who routinely conduct disability evaluations and have expertise in this area. Some contributors are actively involved in related aca...
متن کاملCommentary: Challenges in providing psychiatric disability evaluations.
Christopher et al., in their study of differences between general psychiatrists and forensic psychiatrists in the evaluation of psychiatric disability relative to Social Security Disability Insurance claims, have provided useful information regarding statistically significant differences in practice and beliefs. Despite the relatively small number of participants in this unique survey study, th...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- The journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
دوره 32 3 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2004